Her name is Ino
by ninetytwochairsonetable
Summary: "'Ino, are you ready' Inoichi stood by her side and held her hand. He knew her answer. She knew he knew. But his hand and his voice were enough to steel her mind." OC as Ino. I hope you enjoy this.
1. Her name is Ino

Hello, this is my first Naruto fiction. I wanted to try the 'person dies and is reincarnated as [BLANK] from Naruto' thing. So here it is. A thing. If it's not your thing, I still hope you give it a chance. But if not, that's okay. I hope you find something you enjoy.

It's a little dialogue heavy. Sorry. If any part is confusing, just message me, and hopefully I can clear things up. Thanks for looking.

Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

* * *

Part 1: Oneshot, Her name is Ino

Yamanaka Inoichi sat in one of Konoha's many public parks. Children ran around, screaming with joy, while parents sat on benches, chatting and catching up. For the most part, everyone was having a good time. Inoichi looked out of place. Children and adults alike were sneaking glances at him. No doubt, they were gossiping. What was the head of the Yamanaka clan doing in a simple park such as this?

The answer would be his daughter, Ino. Normally, if she wanted to play, they'd just go out to their private yard. It was large enough for a small child to run around. Plenty of space! So much room! But, Inoichi wanted her to socialize with other children around her age, hence the public park. He hoped everything would go smoothly.

* * *

Of course not. This was Ino. Once they arrived at the park, she was more than happy to sit next to her father on the bench, simply observing the playful activities of the park. Activities Inoichi hoped for her to take part in.

"Ino, don't you want to go play with the other kids?" he asked her. She turned her eyes to her father's, her smile growing wider.

"I'm happier here with you!" she chirped. It was endearing.

He did end up convincing her to go talk to the children after a few minutes. So, there she was, trying to make conversations with anyone willing. Many were unsettled by her eyes. It didn't seem to be going too well.

When she looked like she was about to return, a group of children tentatively invited her to a game of ninja. Thank you, brave children, for inviting-

Inoichi's hopes were shot down when Ino declined the generous offer.

"Ino, did you have fun today?" Inoichi asked. They didn't do much after she came back to sit with him, though it wasn't all that unpleasant.

"Yeah, it was so much fun!" Ino was an odd child. Even with his limited experience with children, Inoichi could pick out what made her so different from other children. Her most concerning quality would be her inability to refuse him. Sure, she'd try to change the subject and stall, but in the end, she did as he asked, even if she didn't want to.

That's weird, right? Children are supposed to want things and not want other things, and be fairly open about it, especially to their parents. Right?

* * *

"Ino?" His daughter was crying. She didn't throw a tantrum. She didn't scream. It was a quiet sort of crying, her head bowed, tears merely spilling due to gravity.

"Ino, what's wrong? Are you hurt? Tell me where it hurts," Inoichi whispered calmly. It wouldn't do good for anyone if he panicked.

"I'm not hurt."

"Why are you crying?"

"I'm just… so sad," Ino looked up to meet his eyes. He hoped he wouldn't have to see that look in her eyes ever again.

"Why are you sad?"

"I can't tell you."

"Why not?"

"Because if I tell you, you won't love me anymore." It frightened Inoichi to hear those words strung together like that. He bundled her securely in his arms, rocking her gently.

"I'll always love you, no matter what."

"Are you sure? Can you promise?"

"If there's one promise I know I can keep, it's this," he assured.

"Okay. Then I'll tell you. You can't tell anyone else."

* * *

"Shikamaru, are you going to lay there the whole time?" Ino asked the child at her feet. There was no irritation in her voice. Only curiosity. The other child, Chouji, was content to sit next to them.

"Yeah," Shikamaru yawned out.

"But, if you do that, you can't see all the cool things," she reasoned.

"What cool things?"

"You know, cool things."

"I don't know." The clouds looked so soft, and the breeze was welcoming him to slumber.

"Cool things you'll miss if you're not awake."

"I have you and Chouji to tell me about all those. Right, Chouji?" Chouji smiled and nodded in affirmation.

"But, Chouji," Ino went on, "don't you think it's so much better when Shikamaru sees all the cool things with us?"

"Mmm, yeah. It's nice to do cool things together." Chouji was on Ino's side for this. Shikamaru had no winning chance.

"Aahhh… Fine," he drawled out, slowly getting to his feet. "You're too much, Ino."

"Am I troublesome?" she asked, a frown marring her face.

"Naahhh, you're okay."

* * *

"Your kid's weird," Shikaku told one of his two close friends. Inoichi could only sigh.

"Yeah. She certainly is different."

"You know something you're not telling."

"I promised her I won't tell."

"What's a promise to a ninja?"

"Nothing," he answered. "I made a promise as her father. That means the world to her."

'And I'm going to make sure she lives a happier life.'

* * *

"Daddy, I don't think grandpa likes me very much," Ino confessed one day. She and her father were lazily sitting on their porch, eating persimmons and watching the sun dip beyond the horizon.

"Why do you say that?" Inoichi questioned. He knew why. He wanted to know if she did.

"I don't know. He looks at me with- uh, you know, that," was her eloquent answer.

"With what?"

"Like things would be better if I was different," she said. Then, with a comically frightened face, she whispered, "Do you think he _knows_?"

"Heh, I don't think even the _Hokage_ can guess," he chuckled. He didn't think anyone could guess anytime soon. His child was truly a mystery. Even to herself.

A peaceful silence came and went.

"The thing is, Ino," he continued, "Grandpa wanted the heir to be male, but that's a small detail. He still loves you a lot."

"But I'm… Okay."

"Ino, do you want to be a ninja?"

"What's a ninja?"

"A ninja is a servant of the hokage and the village. We live to fight for and protect Konoha," Inoichi explained as simply as he could. How could such a short word mean so much?

"... So, a ninja is a soldier?"

"Yes."

"I don't want to be a soldier." Inoichi knew why. And he'd never force her to be such a thing.

* * *

"Hey, daddy?"

"What is it, sweetheart?"

"Ninjas are Konoha, too. Who protects them?"

"Well, they protect each other."

"Huh. Sounds tiring."

"Yeah. It sure is, kiddo."

* * *

"I'm sorry"

"It's okay."

"I only wish the best for you."

"I know. I love you."

"I love you, too."

* * *

The pretty blonde girl's name was Ino, and she saved Sakura.

"My name is Sakura."

"Ah! That's a flower! I love flowers!"

"Do you… Do you love my name, too?" Sakura asked shyly. People always told her her name matched her hair, but never that it was pretty.

"Yeah! My daddy's teaching me the flower language. Isn't that cool?"

The pretty blonde girl's name was Ino, and she was Sakura's first friend.

* * *

"Hey, Ino? Are you studying to be a ninja because you think they're cool?" Sakura asked one day. The two girls sat on a bench beneath the shade of the academy building for lunch.

"No. Ninjas aren't cool." Sakura was surprised by her friend's response. She thought Ino did everything she thought was cool or interesting. Certainly, she wouldn't do something she deemed uncool.

"But, ninjas can fly and shoot fire and stuff! Isn't that so cool?"

"They're soldiers," Ino stated like it explained the world's secrets. To Sakura, it didn't explain a thing.

"Then, why are you at a ninja academy?"

"I don't want to upset anyone." Sakura wondered why people would be upset, but didn't say anything about it. She guessed it was a ninja clan thing.

"Who do you think is cool? Besides your dad."

"Hm, that's easy! Tadano-san who lives three streets away from me. He knows how to build houses! Now, isn't _that_ cool?"

* * *

"Ino?" Inoichi called out for her. She turned and faced him, giving him her full attention.

"Ino, you're doing very well in your classes." She beamed, and he sent a softer smile back at her. No matter the circumstances, he was proud of her. He'd always be proud of her.

"Ino, please hold back. Nothing good comes out of being a prodigy." Her smile faltered and traces of fear crept up in her eyes.

But she understood perfectly.

"I promise."

* * *

"Ino, do you think Sasuke is cool?" Chouji asked out of the blue. He peered at her curiously from his seat next to the board game. Ino and Shikamaru looked up from their pieces at his sudden question.

"Huh? What do you mean?" she asked back.

"A lot of the other girls think he's all cool and stuff. Like how he's so naturally talented and can throw the shurikens really well." Ino crossed her arms and tilted her head back to look up at the ceiling. Ah yes. Her thinking pose.

"I guess that's kinda cool," she mumbled out. Shikamaru briefly wondered what counted as cool to Ino, but quickly stopped that thought. She was just too weird. She once dragged him out of his house to show him a snail on a mushroom.

"But, Chouji, don't you think the three of us are just as cool as Sasuke?" Ino continued. Now, both boys were confused at that.

"Why do you think that?" asked Chouji.

"Because we try so much harder than Sasuke to be as good as his natural talent. Hard work is cool, too!" She grinned with some sort of childish pride.

* * *

"Hello, mister!" Ino cheerfully greeted the man in front of her, the famous Green Beast of Konoha, Maito Gai.

"Good morning, young citizen of Konoha!" he greeted her back with the brightest of smiles, still balanced on his hands.

That fateful encounter, Ino found the Hard Working Hero.

* * *

"Hey, we're going to graduate soon. In a few weeks," Ino idly started one evening. She and Shikamaru sat on a hill, watching the orange of sunset shift to the indigo of night. Too bad Chouji couldn't share the sight with them. That would've made the experience even better.

"Yeah, we'll have to work even harder then. Ugh, what a bother," he grimaced.

Ino was oddly silent. Not that she was a particularly loud child, but she was concerningly silent at that moment, sending Shikamaru sitting up straighter to take a closer look at her. Outwardly, there was nothing wrong with her. Perhaps, her face was too blank, but other than that, nothing.

"Ino?" he called for her attention, apparently snapping her out of whatever thought she was stuck on.

"Huh? Ino?" she asked, confusing the boy by her side.

"What?"

"What? Ino. Yeah, that's me? Did you want something?"

"Ino, are you okay?" He wanted to make sure. She was his friend. His second friend.

"Yes? Oh! Yeah, I'm okay!" she sent a smile his way, but it didn't do much to smooth his worry. At that, Ino's smile faded away like the sun.

"Shikamaru," she began, then seemed to lose her words.

"Yeah?" he encouraged her.

"I'm not, uh, I don't… Erm, am I troublesome?" she fumbled with her words. He looked at her for a brief moment before responding.

"No. Not you. Never you. Okay?"

"Okay."

* * *

Ino slipped on her sandals. 'Funny,' she thought. 'There's no lacing up anymore, but the purpose is the same.' Her fingers gripped the hem of her shirt tightly. The doorway seemed menacing that morning. Like the door was a monster that'd swallow her whole, never to return her home.

"Ino, are you ready?" Inoichi stood by her side and held her hand. He knew her answer. She knew he knew. But his hand and his voice were enough to steel her mind.

"I'll never be ready, but it's time to go now," she smiled, eyes clear as the sky, deep as the sea. With her headband in place, she reluctantly untangled her hand from her father's and stepped outside.


	2. Sun

Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. I am not profiting in any way from this.

I wrote more. It's not in chronological order, though. Sorry. If any part is confusing or weird, or you find some mistake, feel free to message me. Thanks for looking!

* * *

Part 2: Sun

Sometimes, Ino ate alone in the academy. She just did. No one had a problem with it. Sometimes, Ino just needed time for herself.

One time, beneath the tree on the hill, she sat in peace, feeling the breeze caress her cheeks. Suddenly, a boy with whiskers poked his head from behind the tree. Quietly, as if he was afraid of someone else hearing, he asked her, "Hey, you're Ino, right?"

"Yeah, and you're Naruto, right?" she asked back. "Do you need something?"

"Well… I was just thinking…" he paused, attempting to properly say what he wanted to. Ino waited patiently.

"Just- You have yellow hair! L-like me!" Naruto shouted. He didn't particularly mean to, but he was very excited.

"Huh? I guess so?" Ino squinted her eyes at the boy's hair. It was yellow. Bright yellow. Blindingly bright.

"And! And! You have blues eyes like me!" he continued.

"Um, yeah," Ino agreed. They were all true. The two children under that tree had yellow hair and blue eyes.

"So, um," Naruto stammered, "since we look so much like each other, uhh, do you think, maybe that, erm… Maybe we could be, ya know, family?"

Ino peered up at the boy's blue blue eyes. Hope leaked out of them. She didn't know the answer.

"I'll ask my dad. If you want." At that, the sunny haired boy beamed wide and bright. He smiled like the sun burned just for him.

It was a great shame to tear that expression from him the next day.

* * *

Men.

Drunk men.

Three drunk men.

Named Inoichi, Chouza, and Shikaku.

"Look at this, boys! Chouji skipped his first rock last week!" Chouza held up a small photo of the young child. Chouji's happiness was forever imprinted on the picture, and Chouza's pride was clearly plastered on his face.

"Guess what? Shikamaru won all the games against his cousins around his age. One day, maybe he'll even beat me! Hah!" Shikaku bragged about his son's capability in winning board games.

They were drunk men, but not any drunk men. They were fathers, proud and drunk.

"So?" Chouza nudged Inoichi, who was slumped over the table, a dopey smile etched on his face. "How's little Ino doing? She do anything _cool_ recently?"

"Hmm?" Inoichi lifted his head minutely to show he was listening. "Yeah, she's doing great- no, more than great! Very great! Last night, she was out catching moths and fireflies, and the day before that, we went around digging up those little pill bugs. She's so great at what she does, isn't she!" he shouted in his drunken drawl.

The men cheered and laughed, celebrating their glorious children. While Chouza and Shikaku ordered more drinks and chattered about something or other, Inoichi's mind drifted to somewhere warm and cozy.

"Ah, she's so great, so great. I love her so much," he muttered out to everyone. No one heard.

"She's the sun. I love her. Bright and happy and cheerful and warm. She's my sun.

My sun…

My sun, I love her…

My son…"

No one heard.

* * *

"And then you gotta push and then flip it," Chouji explained as he expertly demonstrated how to flip the egg. Ino observed closely, eyes picking out all the details of her friend's motions.

"And fold and fold and fold, and there! Egg rolls, all done!" he exclaimed, proudly showing his magnificent dish to his companion. Ino was star-eyed.

"Amazing! You're so cool!" she praised. She had never seen a child cook something so pretty and delicious.

"Hehe, thanks!" Chouji beamed. "You know, you can even make little shapes with them. Like hearts, or something." He thought Ino's eyes held literal hearts and stars at that moment. She was that impressed with simple egg rolls. Chouji wondered how often Ino's dad cooked.

Later that evening, Ino made her first egg rolls under the watchful gaze of her father. She did her best to push and flip and fold and shape. Of course, Ino was not a natural chef like the Akimichi child. As Ino presented her best, Inoichi could only smile, telling her what a good job she did. She was happy, he was happy. Nothing else mattered.

* * *

"Ino, are you sure about this?" asked Sakura. She was worried about her friend's sudden decision to cut her hair. Her beautiful hair. Strands of golden thread, long and silky.

Ino grinned and replied, "Of course I'm sure. I don't want anyone grabbing my hair. It'll get dirty and stuff, you know?" Sakura could think of other more important problems with people grabbing her hair, but she decided not to voice them.

"Okay, Ino. If you're sure…" Sakura held in her hands a pair of silver scissors, gleaming in the sunshine. With hands as steady as could be, she snipped and snipped her best friend's hair. It turned out a little choppy, but Ino never complained. In fact, she looked pleased with its untidiness.

Ino went home that day with short short hair. The clansmen often commented her new haircut gave her a boyish charm. That only made her smile even brighter.

She'll have her long hair one day. Long as her daddy's. But only when she's strong. Until then, she'll keep her short short hair.


	3. Halcyon

Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. I am not profiting in any way from this.

And another. Thanks for reviewing, I hope you enjoy this.

* * *

Part 3: Halcyon

"Hey, Shikamaru, can you help me with homework?" Ino asked her friend. She made sure to speak as gently as she could manage. Shikamaru generally didn't take too kindly to demands.

The boy in question merely looked up with a questioning look. But he just made room for her on the bench, replying with a drawl, "Yeah." (He was very sluggish in sitting up, but he did. Eventually.)

Shikamaru was intelligent. Very much so. Ino, not as much. She'd find help wherever she could.

Shikamaru was intelligent. Ino was resourceful.

* * *

"Daddy! Can you help me with homework?" Ino asked her father later that day.

"Of course, but I thought you said you were going to ask Shikamaru the other day," he answered. He didn't mind helping her. After all, it was just another way to spend more time with his child.

"I did, but I don't understand him. He doesn't explain everything very well."

"Ah, well, it's probably because he understands the concepts almost intuitively."

"Oh. Well. I don't. And you explain them best. So…" she trailed off, looking vaguely embarrassed. Even a little ashamed.

"Ino, you know there's nothing wrong with asking for help," Inoichi smiled encouragingly. He didn't want her to feel bad for being a child. For anything.

"Yeah, but, it's just, I'm…"

"And, not everyone is perfect on their first try. So, it's all okay. You're doing very well."

She smiled beautifully.

* * *

Father and Child.

They were close. Very close.

Sharing secrets they never dared to whisper to another soul.

Blanketed beneath the moonless night, the two sat together. The aroma of flowers, usually sweet and dainty, smelled exceptionally cloying that night. It was a hot summer night.

"Daddy?" said the Child.

"Yes, sweetie?" said the Father.

"Sometimes, I get really confused."

"About what?"

"Well… I don't who I am."

"What do you mean?"

"Am I a little girl with someone else's memories? Or am I that someone else, but now a little girl? Or something completely different?"

"I don't know, sweetheart. But, do you know what I _do_ know?"

"What is it?"

"I know that you're my child. I know that I love you, and I know that you love me. I also know you're here. Right here, in the present. Sitting with me. Here. Alive."

"Hehe. You're right. You're always right. You love me, I love you, and we're here. Together."

"That's right."

"I don't know who I am, but I'm still 'me' and that's okay.

"Yes, it's all okay."

"Thanks, daddy."

"Anytime, honey."

* * *

"Sasuke? Are you free?" Ino asked the boy with the midnight hair.

Said boy turned and narrowed his eyes at her. "What do you want?" he spit.

Ino was slightly taken aback by his biting attitude, but carried on with her request, "Everyone I asked told me you're the best at ninjutsu in class, and I was wondering if-"

The boy rudely interrupted, "I don't have time for you. Don't bother me."

This made Ino's polite smile slip right off her face. "That's fine, but you don't need to be so rude about-" Once again, she was cut off by the boy.

"Stop talking to me! Can't you understand that I don't want to talk to you!?" he exploded.

Ino had her times of childish silliness, but overall, she was mature. Sasuke could've had a bad day. Something could've happened that day to make him angry, so bitter. Extra snappy. Whatever circumstances, whatever situations, Ino knew the possibilities were endless. So she held her tongue and went her way with a hollow, "Have a good day."

* * *

When asked about Sasuke, she'd say, "He's not cool."

* * *

Sakura was crying, and Ino didn't know what to do.

"Sakura? Wh-What's wrong? Are you hurt? Tell me where it hurts?" she asked her dear friend for some sort of reaction other than sobbing.

"Oh, no. It's nothing. I'm just being silly," her friend replied.

"It can't be just nothing if you're crying about it."

"No, it's just… Sasuke…"

Sakura was crying because of Sasuke. Sakura was crying because of a boy. While Ino did think it was a little silly, Sakura's tears were real. Sasuke didn't even apologize.

Ino decided Sasuke wasn't just "not cool."

He was _uncool._

* * *

Ino was average in theory and paperwork.

Ino struggled in ninjutsu and projectile weapons.

Ino enjoyed information gathering and kunoichi lessons.

Ino excelled in traps, sabotage, and survival.

At taijutsu… Well…

* * *

"Ino, where are you going with that face?" Shikamaru ambled on beside his friend out of curiosity. Despite what many people thought, the boy, did not, in fact, sleep whenever possible. He did go out on the rare occasion he felt like doing something (like scouting out a good place to nap). Sometimes, he just followed his friends. Like right then.

"What face?" Ino tilted her head at him, her short short hair rustling with the movement. It was weird seeing her with short hair.

"That face. The determined face. What are you up to?"

"I'm going to find Mr. Hero and ask him if he could give me some tips and advice," she huffed.

"Mr. Hero? Who's that?"

"The Great Mr. Green Hero of Konoha, Maito Gai!"

"...Why?"

Ino halted her steps, making her companion do the same. She looked at him with that face of determination and with crossed arms, declared, "So I can beat Sasuke to the ground!" in the middle of the street. People stared. Shikamaru stared. No one really knew how to respond.

* * *

At taijutsu, she just really wanted to smash Sasuke's face into the ground.

(She succeeded more than a few times. Shikamaru thought she deserved at least that much. Her times with Mr. Hero were… frightening.)


	4. Dear Deer

Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. I am not profiting in any way from this.

Wow, thank you for all the reviews, faves, and follows. That's really amazing. Hope you enjoy this update. Thanks for looking.

* * *

Part 4: Dear Deer

Shikamaru and Chouji have been to the Yamanaka compound many times. It was like a second or third home to them.

In all those times he visited, Shikamaru felt something was off. Something was different. It took awhile to pinpoint the reason.

"Inoichi-san?" he called out for attention to the man in the kitchen. Off in the yard, Ino and Chouji were engaged in an exciting staring contest with a praying mantis.

"Hm? What is it, Shikamaru? Do you need something?" the man inquired.

"How come there's only one mirror here?" It wasn't just the lack of mirrors. In his own home, his mother made sure the counters and tables sparkled and shined. He could see his reflection on the floor. The bowls and plates and utensils were silver and shiny.

Ino's place was dull in comparison. Everything was relatively opaque, hard to make out any reflections other than the vague blobs of colors and shadows.

"Ah, that. Ino's afraid of mirrors," Inoichi answered after a short moment of thinking.

"Oh. Okay, thank you," Shikamaru said and went to join his friends who had moved on to crawling under bushes, probably looking for the practice senbon they lost the other day.

* * *

"Hey, Ino. Are you scared of mirrors?"

"Huh? Uh, kind of. Did one of the clansmen tell you?"

"Yeah, I asked your dad about it."

"Oh, huh. Okay. Yeah. Kind of."

"How come?"

"Uh, well, just. It's kinda scary at night. The mirrors. Er, the reflections, I mean. Like, what if it's all dark, and you see something in the reflections. Or like, you think you see something in the mirror, but when you turn around, it's not there. Like, ghosts, or something… It's silly, isn't it?"

"No. I guess, now that I think of it like that, that's pretty spooky."

Had he been a little bit older, a little more perceptive, a little more experienced, he would've caught her lie.

* * *

Shikamaru and Ino often played rounds of shogi. Mostly, it was because the boy wanted to, and the girl obliged to his simple request. In all the games they played, Ino had never won.

"Guess I'm just not all that smart," the girl would say.

"It's not that you're not smart. Just that strategy's not your thing," the boy would reply.

Shikamaru believed that. Ino believed that.

Later, in their days of being teammates, he found out Ino planned ahead very far, though oftentimes, her plans were muddy and vague. She made up for them by improvising whenever something unpredictable happened. She was good at that. Being flexible.

He found out Ino was no good at shogi, not because strategy wasn't her thing, but because games pieces were too impartial. The pieces did not hold the same unpredictability of humans. They did not allow room for Ino's flexibility.

* * *

For some reason, Shikamaru always thought Ino would be the most sensitive to death.

For some reason… There was no reason. He just thought that, because a student long time ago carelessly bragged about being a boy. That girls were weak and couldn't handle the ninja life as well as boys. Of course, that student got a beating from the girls who heard.

While he thought that, he always knew Ino was the most rational and detached. He knew her life was highly compartmentalized, and death would simply be swept aside somewhere quiet and secluded.

So, it came as a sort of muted surprise when Ino was the first to kill, destroying that Sound guy's mind. At the end of the day, when the team was allowed a moment of rest, Ino was their pillar of support.

Since then, whenever he saw a jounin, Shikamaru thought, "Ah. Ino will fit right in."

* * *

Ino was Ino. There wasn't enough words known to humanity to completely describe the being that was Ino.

She was weird. Odd. Strange. Off. Didn't quite belong.

Lost?

Perhaps.

* * *

She said some random things sometimes. Like that one time with the flower field.

"How much farther do we have to go?" Shikamaru had complained nonstop the whole twenty minutes it had taken the two children to trek to wherever it was Ino was taking them.

"Just a little bit! Look, we're here!" she exclaimed.

The two stood at the edge of a flat field of wildflowers. The sun was just about to set. It was a scene right out of a fairytale.

"It's nice. How'd you find this place?" the boy asked.

"I was walking the other day, and then I thought I smelled something nice," she explained.

"You smelled something nice. Hm. Flowers?"

"Yeah, probably."

The girl walked toward the center of the field and suddenly collapsed, shocking the boy into running.

"Ino!"

Turns out she decided to lay on the ground by falling. Shikamaru was very much not amused. She smiled at him.

"Isn't it nice here? It's really quiet here."

"Yeah, it is."

"Hey, do you ever fantasize about how you'll die?" This startled the boy a bit.

"What? What's with this all of a sudden?"

"Dunno. So, do you?"

"No, I don't. Why, do you?"

"All the time.

"Oh…"

"Ever since I was a child, I wanted to die peacefully in a field of flowers."

"You're still a child," the boy started. Was she? She had to be. What else would she be?

Ino did not respond. She was too at peace. Perhaps fantasizing about that end.

* * *

A great tragedy, she could not have her wish even the second time around.


	5. Smiles

Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. I am not profiting in any way from this.

Thank you again, for all the feedback. I appreciate them all. Here's another. I don't know when the next update will be. Hopefully not too late.

* * *

Part 5: Smiles

"Ah, Ino!" Inoichi greeted his child when she came home from the academy.

"Hi, daddy! How was your day?" she smiled.

"Good! And yours?"

"Also good!"

"So, I have a surprise for you," said Inoichi.

"Oh, is it a gift?" Ino asked jokingly. Her father chuckled.

"It could be considered that if you want. Since you're improving in chakra control and ninjutsu, the clan decided you're ready for the Yamanaka techniques."

"WOW! REALLY!?"

* * *

"Ino, this will be a secret, okay?"

"Okay. I'm good at keeping secrets."

"Heh, you really are, kiddo. The clan doesn't know this, so you can't tell even the other clansmen, okay?"

"Okay, I promise."

"I'm going to teach you the fragility of the human mind. I'm going to teach you about the power of suggestion. Something like that, with the Yamanaka abilities, will be deadly. It might even save lives one day. Are you ready for it?"

"I'm ready."

* * *

Morino Ibiki was a constant in Ino's life. He was her father's coworker. He worked for T&I. He was frighteningly good at his job.

To Ino, he was that quiet uncle from beyond the clan. Their first meeting wasn't particularly memorable, but the intention made an impact.

* * *

"Ino, come meet a friend!" Inoichi called out.

"Coming!" she answered back.

At the entrance of the clan compound stood a tall man with broad shoulders. His face was stonier than the Hokage monument. She gave a big, bright smile.

"Hello, mister! I'm Ino!"

"Morino Ibiki. It's a pleasure to meet you." He cracked a minute smile.

"Ino, we'll be doing some work and business here. Can you step out for a few hours?" Inoichi asked. Ibiki thought it was a strange request.

"Of course! I'll go visit Chouji. I'll see you later, dad. It was nice to meet you, Mister Ibiki!" the child bowed, her smile never leaving her face as she skipped outside.

* * *

Ibiki stared at the man sitting before him.

"What?" Inoichi raised a brow.

"What?" Ibiki mirrored the gesture.

"Whatever you're thinking about, spit it out."

"Nothing bad. Just wondering why you invited me over just to send her out. Would've been easier to just work from the office."

"Oh, please. You know why you're here," Inoichi deadpanned.

"I can only assume you wanted me to meet your daughter."

"Yes, and?" he prompted. Ibiki sighed through his nose.

"She's mature. At least, more than the average child. Didn't question about our business or make a fuss about having to leave all of a sudden. Is she not a curious child?"

"Oh, she's curious. Very much so. One time, she wanted to know what it feels like to sleep on the roof. Of course, I accompanied her." (The clansmen chattered about that for a good week. Ino invited everyone to sleep on the roof with her. Everyone politely declined.)

"... Ah. Right. She didn't seem curious about our work."

"That's because she knows what it is."

Ibiki was taken aback. "You told her?"

"Yeah, she asked about it before."

"You told a _five year old_ about our work," Ibiki stated more than questioned.

"She was four. And, she can handle it." Inoichi was confident. Maybe a bit too confident…

"You- you're out of your mind. I'm starting to wonder about your parenting skills."

"I know more than you, at the very least."

"That's not saying much."

"It's still saying something."

* * *

"Ino, how was Ibiki?"

"I don't know. I only saw him for a bit."

"That's true, but what kind of person do you think he is?"

"Hmmm… Tough, I guess? Oh! Maybe he's lonely or sad or something."

"Why do you think that?"

"Because he tried to smile at me, but it was rusty. Does he smile a lot?"

"No, he's not one to smile much."

"But, that's so sad! Smiling is so great!"

"Oh, yeah? How come?"

"If you're smiling for real, it means there's a reason for your smile. And isn't having a reason to smile the best feeling ever?"

"Hehe, yeah, you're right. Can you help Ibiki with smiling? Give him a reason or two to smile? I think it'll be good for him."

"Of course! I hope we'll be really good friends. We'll go catch dragonflies together, and play in the river, and talk about ninja things, and then he'll smile more!"

"Thank you, Ino. You are such an angel."

"No problem at all, daddy."

* * *

"Are you looking for beetles, too?" the child asked. Ino looked up at him. It was that Aburame child called Shino. She flashed him a sunny grin.

"I'm looking for caterpillars, but beetles are cool, too!" she replied.

The two children walked through the woods together, searching high and low for whatever insects caught their fancy. It was an interesting walk, quiet and steady. It felt like a lazy catnap. But in a walking kind of way.

"Shino, can I ask you about your bugs?" she broke the silence once.

"I will attempt to answer about the Kikaichu if I am able," he answered.

"What do they eat?"

"My chakra."

"Won't that hurt you?"

"They do not eat that much."

"Oh, that's good. Are they ticklish?"

"Do you mean are the individual Kikaichu ticklish, or if they are ticklish to me?"

"Uhh, both?"

"They do not tickle me. However, I am unsure about their individual levels of ticklishness."

"Oh, okay. That's cool."

A natural silence had entered their conversation as they traversed deeper through the woods.

"Ino, may I ask about your eyes?"

"Go ahead! I'll try to answer as best I can."

"Do you really not have pupils?"

"I have them. They're really faint. It's just kinda hard to see them."

"Does that not affect your vision?"

"Hm, I think mine is average, but I hear a lot of the clansmen complaining about farsightedness."

"Ah, is that so. Thank you for answering my questions."

"No problem!"

Two children caught insects together. They both had a story to tell their parents. A story about another child who loved bugs just as much.


	6. Teammates

Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. I am not profiting in any way from this.

Thank you for all the feedback. The reviews are very much appreciated. Next update may or may not be even later.

Big Fan: Thank you for your review! Ino and Gai only met for a week or two before he taught TenTen and Lee. Ino heard of them in passing, but has never met them.

* * *

Part 6: Teammates

Sarutobi Asuma knew his team was special. Well, obviously his team was special. It was his team. So, of course the kids were special.

They passed his test with outstanding performance. They were already good friends and had an idea of each other's strengths and weaknesses. Their teamwork had already started developing. There was pretty much no chance of this team failing.

* * *

He found out after one team training that Shikamaru naturally assumed position as leader while Ino and Chouji followed his orders carefully.

He found out after four team trainings that Shikamaru fell back on his teammates for second opinions when he wasn't too confident in his chances.

He found out after eleven team trainings that Shikamaru sometimes relied on Ino's planning when his original plans didn't work out properly.

* * *

He found out after one chance encounter that Ino had no qualms about fighting low and dirty.

Perhaps, he should've been worried. Perhaps, he should've talked to Inoichi.

But he didn't. Not right then.

* * *

Three times Asuma asked the question, "If you had to choose between the mission and your teammates, which would you pick?"

Two times the answer was "teammates."

* * *

"Ino, if you had to choose between the mission and your teammates, which would you pick?"

He'd assumed she would say "teammates" with no hesitance. But he was wrong.

The girl, she looked up at him with wide wide eyes. As if she couldn't believe what she had just heard. As if she couldn't believe what he had just said.

In contrast, the man couldn't believe what he wasn't hearing.

* * *

One time was hesitance, doubt, then "teammates."

* * *

When it really did come down to it, all three of his students acted accordingly. Missions were failed. Lives were saved.

Asuma was a proud proud teacher.

* * *

"...And then he just disappears without saying anything else. Isn't that kinda rude?" Sakura told her friend. After being assigned to teams, their times together had decreased significantly.

"I guess he's not very good with children or having students," Ino replied. She wasn't sure. She had never met a Hatake Kakashi in her life.

"I guess so. Anyway, Sasuke being on my team is great and all, but he's not really a team player. Wish he'd make an effort to at least talk to us as teammates, ya know? You're so lucky Shikamaru and Chouji actually acts like a real team."

"That's not good. Teammates need strong methods of communication, trust, and honesty. It's not going to work well if someone's not talking at all," Ino frowned. While her desire to crush his face had disappeared after a few weeks, Sasuke was not the easiest person to like in her opinion. He also made it difficult by not making any attempts to befriend anyone.

"He does talk. Sometimes. But it's usually to say something mean. Like to Naruto. And me. And even Kakashi-sensei, sometimes," Sakura managed out. Now that she actually said that outloud, Sasuke sounded like a big ol' jerk.

"That's… mean."

"Yeah…"

"Hey, you know what? Maybe he needs more reasons to smile and laugh and be happy."

"Mmm, maybe."

"It's worth a try."

"You're right, it is. We'll make sure to keep smiling for him. Naruto and I. And maybe, one day, he'll really talk to us."

* * *

"Ino, what's this one mean?" asked Chouji, holding up a flower.

"Daffodil means respect," she answered.

"What about this one?" Shikamaru lazily held up another flower.

"Zinnia means loyalty."

"This one?"

"Sakura means kindness and gentleness."

"This?"

"Red poppy means sleep, peace, and death."

"How about this-"

"Wait, no. No, no, no. That's not right."

"Ino?"

"But it's- it's right. Right? It's history. But what's…"

"Ino!"

"Huh? Yeah?"

"You okay?"

"Uh, yeah. Yeah! I'm okay. Just made a mistake with this one, hehe."

"...If you say so."

"Red poppy means fun-loving."

"...And this one?"

"Sweet pea means goodbye."

* * *

"Daddy, am I a bad person?"

"Why do you say that, honey?"

"Because when Asuma-sensei asked whether I'd choose the mission or my teammates, I couldn't answer right away. And when one of our missions sort of turned out that way, all I could think about was how I failed."

"But, Ino, think of it this way. When it mattered the most, you chose your teammates over the mission. Over your failure."

"But I hesitated and-"

"That doesn't make you a bad person. You still chose your teammates, your friends. Next time, will you hesitate?"

"I- I don't know. Maybe. What if I take too long in deciding and-"

"You won't. I know this."

"Can you promise this?"

"I can't, but I _know_ this, and I hope, one day, you will too."

"...Thanks for believing in me."

"No problem at all, dearest. That's the least I can do for you."


	7. Impact

Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. I am not profiting in any way from this.

Thank you for patience. It's only week 2 of this school quarter, but I've spent more time in the library than ever before.

Sorry this is very short. I don't have any more written out. Will take. Many. Goodbye.

* * *

Part 7: Impact

"My name is Haruno Sakura. I like reading and spending time with my friends. I don't like sour things and bees. My hobby is learning new things. My dream is to… I want to become a competent kunoichi."

* * *

"What do you think we should do, Sakura?" Kakashi asked his third student.

"I- I think we should call for help," she tentatively replied.

"WHAT!? We don't need any help. We can do it!" Naruto exclaimed. Sasuke said nothing, but his expression said it all.

"Sakura, don't mind the boys. Tell me what _you_ want," her teacher expertly ignored the young boys.

Sakura took a breath and answered with an even voice, "Ino is one of the smartest people I know, and she always said to ask for help. This mission is way beyond our league, so if we're not going to turn back, we should call for backup."

* * *

Was it mere luck that they listened to her?

Backup was requested.

Some lives were lost.

Some were saved.

Their mission ended with less heartache than it could have.

* * *

"You know, since Ino, you've been much calmer than before."

"I'm happier with Ino. Isn't it the same for you and Chouji?"

"Well, yeah, my life got cheerier with him. _You_ look like you found a sort of peace."

"Do I?"

"Yup. Mellowed out quite a bit. Heh, can't believe you were so hot headed once upon a time."

"Guess that's what Ino does to me. Give me peace."

* * *

"Yo, Ibiki. Ya know, you're really creepy when you do that."

"Do what?"

"The smiling thing. Stop it. It's unnerving."

"If it's creepy and unnerving, then it's working. So no, I will not stop."

"Ugh, whatever. Where'd you even pick that up from? You didn't do that before, and all of a sudden, you're smiling that really disgustingly sweet smile. It's so- eugh, weird and gross coming from you."

"It's amazing what you can learn from a child."

"What was that?"

"Nothing. Get back to work, Mitarashi."

"No, really. What'd you just say?"

"You want guard duty rest of the month?"

"Nope! See ya, I have work to do."

* * *

Being good, long friends with Ino and being teammates with Naruto, Sakura picked up on a few tricks regarding traps. While her limited experience and restricted time made it difficult for her to set up anything too elaborate, she did her very best.

Her traps held on for as long as possible. Her opponents were left to dance and skitter, dodging whatever unexpected needles and blades flew their ways.

Her traps held long enough for help to arrive.

Sakura was truly grateful she listened.

* * *

Sky, clear and blue.

Clouds, fluffy and white.

From his position on the ground, the world looked much too large with the walls of the field tauntingly staring down at him. Turning his eyes from the wall to the crowd, Shikamaru thought to himself for one brief moment before getting up.

He didn't want to do it. Missions. Ninjas. Battles. Paperworks. Promotions.

He didn't want to do any of that.

He didn't want to, but Ino's voice always brought him back on track.

"I think ninjas are kinda like islands. I want them all to know that they're not alone. That they're all still part of island chains."

He didn't want to…

But he will. Not only for himself, but for others.

His family. His friends. His teammates. Konoha.

Ino.

He'll do it.

* * *

Note: "No man is an island" -John Donne

The part about the island chains, I based on a quote from the movie "About a Boy."


	8. EXAMINATION, First Half

Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. I am not profiting in any way from this.

It's been awhile since I watched/read this portion of Naruto. So I may have gotten many details wrong. I might go back and review it some time in the future. Or someone can point it out. Thanks for being patient.

* * *

Part 8: EXAMINATION, First Half

"I don't know… I have a bad feeling about this," Ino confessed to her team.

"If you're not up for it, that's fine. We can take it another time," Asuma assured her.

"The others are also getting entered, if they accept. Maybe they'll sit out, too," Chouji reasoned.

"What if something happens to them?" Ino had a dilemma. On one hand, she wanted out. Out of everything. But on another hand, her friends could get into trouble. She didn't know what to do.

"Well, hopefully they'll be alright on their own. They've been training hard," said Asuma.

"Aaahh, this whole thing is so troublesome!"

* * *

"Hey, do you see that guy over there? Talking to Sakura's team?" Ino whispered to the boys.

"Yeah, what about him?" Shikamaru asked.

"I have a bad feeling about him."

"How so?" Chouji chimed in.

"I- I don't know. Something's wrong. And, dad told me about him." That was worrying. Inoichi rarely told Ino about the other ninjas of Konoha, hoping for her to grow bonds on her own. Whatever he told her must have been important.

"What'd he say?"

"He's really… plain. Like, really average. Either he's just really unlucky to still be a genin, or he's hiding something."

"I see. Then we'll try to avoid him and his team," Shikamaru told his team, and his team nodded.

"For now-" He was rudely cut off by a foreign team.

"Hey, what are you three jabbering to yourselves about?" It was a boy from Sound. He had a forgettable face, though his hair was a bit ridiculous.

"Excuse me?"

"Hmph! Bunch of newbies," the boy sneered.

"Zaku, shut up," the other boy from Sound told him off. Zaku looked properly told off, for he spit and turned away.

"Tch. Whatever."

"Ah, is your name Zaku?" Ino turned his attention back to her team. The other two Sound kids looked back to her, too.

"Huh? What's it to ya?" he shouted. He didn't like being challenged (though, that wasn't quite what she was doing).

"It's just that your team is… How should I say…" she trailed off.

"You got somethin' to say to me, bi-!"

"FIGHTING IS NOT PERMITTED IN THIS ROOM. NOW YOU MAGGOTS SHUT UP AND LISTEN!"

* * *

After the whole ordeal was done and over with, Shikamaru briefly entertained the thought Ino and Ibiki timed that moment.

* * *

The written portion of the exam was very simple. They specialized in intel, among other things. Something like this, child's play.

There was no need to even collaborate as a team.

* * *

"Ah, it's you again! Hello, Zaku," Ino smiled cheerfully.

"Ugh, it's you. Again," Zaku was clearly not as happy to see Ino. She was planning something, he knew it. He just did. Those eyes. They weren't natural. She wasn't natural.

"My team and I did so well together in the last test. I suppose your team did, as well?" she asked, amicably. Shikamaru and Chouji said nothing, simply watching dispassionately at their exchange.

"Hah! We don't even need each other for something so easy. You know what? I'll give your team the honor of being killed by me!" Zaku laughed at her face. But she continued to smile.

"It's such a pity," she ignored his statement and carried on, "that you're so strong. You probably don't practice teamwork much. My team is the best at that!"

"Wha- What's with you? You a freak or something? Wasting my time," he scoffed and left.

He left, but his thought strayed to what she said. It sounded like a backhanded compliment. He didn't dwell on it any further.

* * *

In the forest, Ino truly shined. Although she had never set foot in Training Ground 44, she navigated with the ease of a veteran. Flipping and spinning, with her in the lead, Team Ten made considerable progress.

* * *

On the second day, they clashed with a team from Sand. They were brutal and merciless, but so was Ino. She would one day thank her boys for stopping her in time. The team from Sand begrudgingly surrendered.

* * *

They stumbled upon Sakura's team. Was it chance, or was it planned? They also stumbled upon the scene of Rock Lee getting beat by the team from Sound. It was a strange sight. Sakura doing her best to stand guard, her team members seemingly asleep, a member of another Leaf team bleeding on the ground. Ino saw enough. She switched with that girl from Sound, leaving her body safe with her friends.

* * *

"Kin! What's going on with you? What're you doin'?"

"Shut up! Everyone shut up!"

"Stop! Get out of my way!"

"Dosu! Stop Zaku!"

* * *

It was quite the disaster. Whatever seeds of doubt Ino planted into Zaku's head combined with the subtle manipulations of Kin's body language as well as Shikamaru's shadow tricks, it was all a mess. For the Sound team, that is.

* * *

Chouji would never admit to anyone how scared he was that day. How scared of Ino he was. He wasn't familiar with all of the Yamanaka techniques, but whatever Ino did, it scared him.

It was scary how nonchalant and mechanical she was.

* * *

The remaining members of Sound left after surrendering their scroll. The teams from Leaf ignored the body beside them to gather their bearings.

"Ah, Sakura, when did you cut your hair?" Ino pouted, seemingly unaffected by the battle just a moment ago. She probably wasn't. "It's so choppy and awkward."

"Oh, heh. It just… happened, I guess," Sakura's voice shook.

"Is everyone all right? Or, relatively?" Shikamaru asked the group. Everyone was in varying states of distress and injury, but alive.

That was good enough.

* * *

note: Who's your least favorite Naruto character and why?


	9. EXAMINATION, Second Half

Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. I am not profiting in any way from this.

I think I'm failing at my own major. But anyway, I wrote this instead.

This story has recently reached over 100 followers. That's quite amazing. Thank you for your support and patience. I hope this won't disappoint you. If it does, I'm sorry. But it is what it is.

To celebrate the 100 followers milestone, I want to write something like a bonus for y'all. I will try to set up a poll.

* * *

Part 9: EXAMINATION, Second Half

The wait was over, and the teams that made it were given two hours of rest before the next part of the exam. That was good for the teams that arrived at the last minute. Ino thought Konoha was being merciful.

* * *

It turned out they were having a tournament to cut the number in half before the actual finale. And with the proctor's sickly cough, it began.

* * *

The second battle was Aburame Shino vs Akimichi Chouji. Shino was pragmatic, Chouji was passionate. They were relatively evenly matched, but Chouji's strength was in close combat. An especially harsh blow knocked Shino to the ground, and Chouji had the clearest shot to victory. But, bless the child, his kind heart would not allow the final blow, giving the other child a sudden advantage. A split second of hesitation was all it took.

The second battle went to Aburame Shino.

* * *

The fifth battle was Inuzuka Kiba vs Nara Shikamaru. Kiba was wild, Shikamaru was calm. As Asuma watched on, he was entertained by the sight of Kiba chasing Shikamaru, and Shikamaru making a real attempt to run away. It was funny to see that lethargic child running for his life. Not that he'd actually die. Asuma wouldn't allow that to happen.

With clever wires and spilled water, Shikamaru gained the upper hand, ultimately securing his win.

The fifth battle went to Nara Shikamaru.

* * *

The seventh battle was TenTen vs Yamanaka Ino. TenTen was the weapons mistress, Ino was the survivalist. It was an even match between textbook and instinct. Both girls were adept in close combat and weapons. Both were quite intelligent. They could both hold a steady concentration during fights. Their battle seemed to drag on for hours. Not quite hours, but their battle certainly was the longest.

From the corner of his eye, Asuma saw Gai. He saw that confident flash in his smile and proud gleam in his eyes. Gai was sure his student would win. However, Asuma knew better. Sure, TenTen was trained by a taijutsu master. Sure, she was _the_ mistress of all weapons. And yeah, she had more experience in the field as a ninja. But, Asuma knew better. He knew how Ino fought.

Though, it did come as a mild surprise what she did next. When she knocked TenTen's short swords out of her hands, Ino jumped in close. Really close. Like, right in front of the other girl. TenTen prepared to minimize any damage, but Ino did not strike. Instead, she pressed her open mouth to TenTen's. The whole stadium fell dead silent at that. The only sound was the light noise from Asuma as he rubbed the crease on his forehead. Even TenTen momentarily forgot what she was supposed to be doing. But not Ino. She knew what she wanted. She wanted to win. And that's what she got.

Ino had poisoned both herself and her opponent. Except, poor TenTen had no antidote. With sluggish movements, TenTen could not win. She was brought down to her knees, to her defeat.

The seventh battle went to Yamanaka Ino.

* * *

Later when questioned about Ino's behavior, Team Asuma would only shake their heads and say with fondness, "Yup, that's Ino."

* * *

When the Final's matchup was revealed, Ino laughed. Shikamaru felt like laughing and crying. He did neither and groaned into his hands. The second battle of the tournament was Yamanaka Ino vs Nara Shikamaru.

Ino continued to laugh. At least someone was having fun.

* * *

Asuma trained neither Ino nor Shikamaru. Instead, he helped stayed with Chouji through the rest of his recovery and helped him train. His other two students found their own fathers for preparation. Ino and Shikamaru were close friends. They would not go easy. They respected each other too much for that. So, in the time before their battle, they trained to become the opponent the other would be proud to fight.

The next time they met was the day of the Final.

* * *

Before they arrived at the stadium, Shikaku and Inoichi told their children, "Your battle, drag it on as long as possible."

Both children nodded and obeyed.

* * *

After Shino's victory in the first round, it was time.

Yamanaka Ino vs Nara Shikamaru

* * *

"Hey, Shikamaru!" Ino shouted from across the field.

"What? Shikamaru yelled back from the other end.

Ino mouthed words at him, but the distance made it unclear. He was about to ask for clarification when a scratchy voice interrupted. The proctor's voice rang loud and clear, and in a flash both, contestants began their dance.

* * *

If Shikaku was any more poetic than he was, he would go to great extent to describe what he saw. He saw a young girl, smiling with light steps that seemed to barely touch the ground. He saw his son, smirking with a tinge of happiness, watching and listing the infinite possibilities. It felt like watching a game of Shogi. Competitive, yet still friendly. They were having fun.

* * *

Inoichi saw differently. While he did agree they were playing sort of game, he was unsure of the exact nature. Both children gave it their all, he was sure of that. But Ino, she was teasing the boy. What she was doing was akin to setting up a rigged puzzle before the boy. When the boy got closer to completing the puzzle, she would increase the difficulty or change the rules, so that the boy would never reach the end. Ino certainly was dragging the battle, but she was also baiting Shikamaru. To what, Inoichi could not tell.

* * *

Shikamaru knew Ino was teasing him. If it was anyone else, he'd think they were mocking him. But not Ino. She didn't mock. Because mocking someone wasn't cool, wasn't fun. Just when he thought an opening was in sight, Ino would turn around with a perfect counter.

Was it frustrating? No. It was exhilarating. Ino was a challenge. And if there was anything he loved, it was a challenge.

* * *

"Ino, how is it, being a ninja?" Inoichi had once asked his child. They sat side by side, as they usually did, father and child, watching the red glow of twilight blanket the world.

"It's… interesting. I don't really dislike it, but I don't enjoy it, either," Ino carefully picked her words. It wasn't out of fear of saying the wrong thing, but more out of not knowing how to express herself.

"What do you like about it?" asked the father.

"Hmmm, I like sparring with my friends. It's fun, because it's like we're playing," said the child.

"Heh, you really are my kid, Ino. I used to think the same thing," he smiled. Ino was happy to have such a loving father. She was grateful. Oh, so very thankful.

* * *

It was a miscalculation on his part. That is, Shikamaru's. He had failed to account the possibility Ino could have learned something knew. Something outside of her clan's techniques. How could he have overlooked the simple fact Ino fought TenTen beforehand?

Shikamaru was surprised when Ino whipped out a thin scroll. He was even a bit terrified. She held a storage scroll in her hands, and when she tossed it upward to the heavens, the scroll unfurled to reveal TenTen's design. He knew how crafty Ino could get. By crafty, he meant utterly unpredictable and downright cheap.

The scroll stayed suspended in the air for a worryingly long moment before falling back down. The scroll fell. Toward Shikamaru. And in Ino's hands were a bow and arrow. When did she take those out? With a draw, she shot an arrow. The moment the arrow struck a point on the scroll, Shikamaru saw Ino's self-satisfied smile, and that was it.

* * *

While planning, the thought of storing explosives did come to mind, but Ino quickly dashed that thought. She didn't want to permanently disable her friend. Nor kill him. Nope. Never. So, she did what she did best. Ask for help.

* * *

"Santa?" Ino peered into one of her cousins' rooms. Cousin Santa sat at his desk with his notes before him. He glanced over and smiled his gentle smile at her. Ino thought it was beautiful.

"Ah, Ino! Come in. What brings you all the way here?" he asked. He loved Cousin Ino very dearly. He was there for her birth, and he was there all throughout her life. For his love, Ino loved him just as much.

"I was wondering if you have time to guide me," she said.

"For you, I have all the time. What can I help you with?"

* * *

Somewhere on the border of Wind and Fire countries grew a special plant. That plant had a unique defense mechanism. Whenever a threat came near and triggered its extensive network of sensing roots, the plant would release a chemical.

That chemical caused temporary blindness.

* * *

Shikamaru couldn't see. He didn't panic, though. He knew it wasn't permanent. Ino wouldn't do such a thing. Judging from the constant breeze, whatever came out of the scroll had most likely drifted toward Ino as well. She was probably just as blind as he was.

But not really. The Yamanaka clan was also known for their sensors. Ino was a sensor.

Yup, Shikamaru was, for a lack of better word, _fucked_.

* * *

At some point after everything, he heard Naruto say something like, "Haha, you got beat by a girl!" to which Sakura lightly cuffed him on the head while replying, "You looked like you were going to piss your pants when Ino walked by you."

Naruto started spluttering excuses. Shikamaru couldn't blame him. Ino was, very truly, _frightening_.

* * *

There was an invasion near the end of the tournament, sometime in the beginning of the battle between Gaara and Lee. Something happened, and things led to other things. What really happened was a messy blur.

* * *

Shikamaru led a team of his peers to find Gaara and the other Sand siblings. He wasn't really sure why a bunch of fresh genin were sent on that mission, but he didn't feel like questioning orders from above.

Ino was not part of his team.

* * *

Much, much later, Shikamaru would find out where and what Ino was doing during that time. She was helping Ibiki and her father with the torture and interrogation of the captured.

Shikamaru would turn a blind eye.

* * *

"Hey, Shikamaru?" Ino called for his attention. He turned to face her. They were sitting on a bench outside a small sweets shop sharing a box of cheap mochi. It was a nice day.

"Yeah?"

"When you went after the Sand siblings, why did you let them go?" She asked with such curiosity, it almost appeared like innocence. Almost. She was really asking why he didn't end them on the spot or turn them in.

"Because I showed mercy," he replied.

"How come? Aren't they enemy?"

"Hm, well, not anymore. I don't think they want to fight us anymore."

"But how do you know?"

"I guess I don't, really. But I took the chance, and who knows. Maybe they'll be our allies in the future."

He watched his dear friend mull over his words. Whatever conclusion she came to, it was good. She smiled and told him, "You're a good person, Shika."

Shikamaru wasn't sure how to respond to that. He just shoved another mochi in his mouth and stayed silent.

* * *

note 1: What do you think Ino mouthed to Shikamaru?

Also, in case you are curious, I used a random number generator to come up with the matches. Here it is:

Gaara vs Yoroi

Shino vs Chouji

Hinata vs Kankuro

Temari vs Sasuke

Kiba vs Shikamaru

Misumi vs Neji

TenTen vs Ino

Naruto vs Random 4

Sakura vs Lee

Random 1 vs Random 3

Final:

Shino vs Random 1

Shikamaru vs Ino

Neji vs Naruto

Gaara vs Kankuro (Kankuro forfeits)

Temari vs Lee (Temari forfeits)

* * *

note 2: How do you think Sakura vs Rock Lee would've been like? Do you agree with my decision in having Lee (or anyone else) win?


	10. Aftermath

Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. I am not profiting in any way from this.

Hm, yeah. I don't have much else I want to write for this, so the next update will probably be the last.

Thank you for all the support you've given me. Sadly, or maybe not idk, HNII will come to an end soon. Hope you enjoy this.

* * *

Part 10: Aftermath

Life seemed to standstill for a moment. For a few weeks, actually. Ino drifted through those weeks with no particular drive, no motivation, no will. She simply lived, simply breathed. She enjoyed every moment of it. Deep within her bones, within her very soul, she felt a change. A sort of shift. She didn't know what, but she knew it happened. She knew something big was going to happen. But until then, she would enjoy her short few weeks of absolutely boring peace. It was great.

* * *

Of course, after those few weeks, that peace was suffocating. Ino, whether a ninja or whatever soldier she was before, could not stand inaction. Inaction meant vulnerability. Inaction meant death. She had no particular desire to die. Not just yet.

With newfound determination, Ino woke up before even the sun and left the compound. She ran and ran until the sun was above her. With short breaks in between, she trained. It was great. She felt alive. She knew for certain she was alive. That was great.

* * *

Naruto left at some point with a strange man. Sasuke was gone, too. Ino didn't know much of what happened. Sakura didn't want to talk about it, and Kakashi even more so.

From what Shikamaru and Chouji told her, Sasuke ultimately left for greater strength. Ino wondered why he left. Konoha was full of so many strong and talented ninja, he wouldn't need to leave. But he did. He left everyone.

In her eyes, she saw a foolish child.

* * *

Naruto came back some time later. He brought a woman back. In fact, he brought her home. Her name was Lady Senju Tsunade, the legendary healer. She even had a summoning contract. Ino wished for one when she was younger, and Cousin Rei promised to find her one. Then, she'll be able to see Cousin Fu again.

* * *

Naruto left again.

* * *

"Ino, I just- don't know what to do anymore," Sakura confessed to her best friend. They were picking up their used weapons from their spar. Ino turned to glance at her friend.

"About what?" she asked.

"I don't know. Just, this whole thing. Being ninja and whatever," Sakura trailed off. At that, Ino gave her full attention.

"Why do you say that?"

"Well, it's just- you know, Naruto is out there training, probably like no tomorrow, and getting stronger, and Sasuke left. He was already strong, and now, he's probably getting even stronger, and I just, feel like I'm- I don't know… Lagging. I feel like I'm never going to catch up."

"Then, what are you going to do about it?"

"I was hoping you could tell me."

"Why me? This is your life. You should decide for yourself." Ino smiled. It was brittle. Sakura did not see.

"You're one of the smartest people I know, and you're my best friend, and I value what you think, so…" Sakura finished lamely.

"Sakura, do you really want to know what I think?"

"Yes."

"Give up." At this, Sakura's head snapped up, eyes immediately finding her friend's. The normally so warm shade of ocean blue were stagnant. Neither warm nor cold. Detached. Apathetic. Completely neutral.

"Wha- What do you mean?"

"Give up. Stop. Don't be ninja. Just, give up."

"How could you _say_ that?" Sakura felt betrayal once more. But this one cut deeper.

"How can you be a soldier if you're here being indecisive of your own life?"

"But-"

"No. Sakura, answer me this. Are you ninja or are you not?"

"... Ninja."

"I don't believe you. Prove it."

* * *

Inoichi was only just beginning to worry when his child did not come home after the rain started. When he entered the compound, he did not question why she came home so late. He did question why she was beat up and muddy, however.

She said, "Sakura and I got really into it, hehe."

"Ah, I see." He didn't, actually. "Are you two okay?"

"Yup, never better!" she beamed. But Inoichi saw straight through her. She thought she had failed. In what, he didn't know. He did not ask.

* * *

In her own home, between her flustered parents, Sakura held a wide grin just as bright on her face. The only difference, hers held no hidden turmoil.

* * *

Everyone forgot about the Exam. They were all too busy trying to survive and rebuild. Too busy mourning and grieving. Then celebrating Lady Tsunade's return and reign.

Then, one day, Shino, Shikamaru, and Ino entered her office as Genin.

That same day, they came out as Chuunin.

* * *

Ino yawned without a care. Legs swinging, she turned another page from her book as she listened to Shikamaru complain and complain and complain. He came over to the Yamanaka compound early in the morning. Surprising. She invited him in, and since then, all he did was complain. There was no end to his complaints. Ino wondered if he was recalling every single issue in his life since he could remember.

"Just 'cause I'm a different rank doesn't mean they can keep piling all these work on me like this. It's too much. Not even a steady increase. No! They just dumped everything and-"

"You know, Shikamaru, this is your one free day until who knows. Why don't you just stop complaining and tell me about the good things instead?" Ino smiled encouragingly at him. She had effectively shut him up. She did have a good point.

"Aaaahhhh, so troublesome," he mumbled and laid down next to her, much calmer than just a second ago.

* * *

Since Chouji was left behind, Asuma took him on as an apprentice. Though it would have been better with his closest friends, it was still nice.

What wasn't nice was what he heard about Ino. He heard she was following her father's footstep into T&I. Personally trained by Inoichi. She followed them to that frightening, inhumane place.

Chouji was worried for her. She was too kind. She didn't fit in with such a depressing and morbid crowd. She shouldn't be there.

But he also knew, she'd be fine. She was too strong. She knew what she was doing. After all, if there's one thing Chouji learned about his friend over all those years, it was that Ino loved to be useful. She would not dare to waste a single drop of her talents.


	11. Rest now

Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. I am not profiting in any way from this. Also, if you see any mistakes, please tell me.

I lied. Next update will be the last. Though, it's not really another chapter. It's that bonus. Which you can still vote for in the poll on my profile.

* * *

Part 11: Rest now

 _"I think… that maybe, in another life, we could've been friends."_

 _"Maybe. What's it matter?"_

* * *

"Dad, I got a feeling something big is going to happen."

"Like what?"

"Hmm, I'm not sure, but it's going to be big."

* * *

"With the whole Akatsuki thing going on, it's hard to get some break," Sakura told her friend. Ino was usually a good listener, but not at that moment. "Ino? Are you listening?"

"Hm? Ino, ah right. Sorry, I got a little lost in my thoughts, heh," said her friend. She was weird, but she's always been like that.

"Ino, let's make a promise," Sakura's tone shifted from easy to serious. It certainly got Ino's attention.

"Promise what?"

"In five- no, four years, let's go eat some daifuku."

"What kind of promise is this? We can go right now-"

"No! We have to go four years from now. We'll go together, and maybe with Naruto and Shikamaru and Chouji, and even all the others, too. We'll all go together. Promise!"

"Oh, um, okay? I promise. We'll go get your sweets in four years."

"You have to keep it, all right?"

"All right."

* * *

One day, Cousin Rei came home from a long, long mission. She came home with a gift for Cousin Ino.

A summoning contract. Ino almost couldn't believe it. Cousin Rei had a good laugh for the first time in years at Ino's wide-eyed gaze.

Since that day, Ino could be seen with various fuzzy little moths camping out in her hair. It was no secret she loved them. It was no secret they loved her.

* * *

"Ah, Shimura-san. Hello, how are you?"

"Fine, Yamanaka-kun. Can I help you?"

"I was wondering if Cousin Fu is… I was wondering if I could see him?"

"I'm sorry, but Fu is currently out right now. Perhaps, next time."

"Oh, I see. Thank you for your time."

* * *

She hated him. So. Much.

* * *

"Sakura!"

"Ino, don't worry, I'm-"

"You can't be okay! I heard there was a sword and-"

"Ino, really! I'm fine!"

* * *

"Asuma-sensei~!" a singsong voice that could only belong to his student. Specifically, Ino. He smiled as she skipped over to him. She looked oddly cheerful.

"Ino! It's been awhile. How's work?" he asked her, keeping careful eyes on her reactions. Just in case her work was no good for her. Just in case.

"All's well in T&I. Ibi-san is even considering promoting me to Jounin soon. Isn't that exciting?" she beamed. Asuma wasn't particularly thrilled. He had heard from the grapevine of rumors and gossips about Ino's recent field work. It wasn't pretty, but he guessed for Morino, it was magnificent. That sadist.

"Ah, of course. Congratulations," he grinned at her anyway. He wasn't proud of what she did (and he knew she wasn't either), but he was proud of her.

"Heh, thank you! But that's not what I want to talk about."

"Oh? What is it then?"

"Well, I heard from someone or other that there's a baby somewhere in Konoha."

"How'd-!"

"Really, you should know by now! T&I has some of the biggest gossipers in Fire Country!"

* * *

"Hey, Chouji."

"Hm?"

"Do you believe in world peace?"

"What's this all of a sudden?"

"Humor me, please?"

"Um, I guess? It could be possible. Doesn't seem like it now, but maybe one day."

"Hmmm, yeah. One day."

"Yup. One day."

* * *

Between Father and Child, their ritual continued. Eating persimmons on their balcony, watching the world tinged in a red hue. The chill crept in especially quickly that night.

"Hey, dad, do you want to hear a story?"

"Sure, what's it about?"

"It's about the me from before." Inoichi listened closely. It was rare to hear anything about Ino's situation. Whatever that situation may be, she didn't talk about it much.

"I'm listening."

"There was a war. A really big one. The whole world was involved. Entire countries and their people fell. So many years of fighting. It was hell."

"Were you…"

"No, I came much later. The war was long over by then. But the damage was done. Hehe, you know, there was this grandma. She fought in that war. And she told me, 'We used to think this war would be the war to end all wars.' Well, they were wrong."

"What happened after the war?"

"Lots of things. By the time the me from before was born, there was an underground warfare going on. There were secret empires and leaders, fighting and fighting and fighting. There was no end to war."

"And you were a soldier."

"Yeah. I was a soldier. Caught right in the middle."

* * *

"We have intel on two Akatsuki members. They're meeting up in a week. We're going to intercept them. So. Who would be best to put in a team?"

* * *

"Yamanaka-sama, I have a request," Ino bowed, forehead touching the floor. Before her, her father sat still. He didn't like it, but he respected Ino's decisions.

"Speak."

"The mission regarding the Akatsuki. I want to be a part of that team." Oh, he didn't like it one bit.

"I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you. And also, can you make sure Asuma-sensei has time off during the mission?"

"Ah, well, I can't promise anything, but I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you so much."

"Can I ask why?" Here, Ino smiled at her father.

"I have a good feeling about this."

* * *

"Ino."

"Shikamaru."

She was smiling, as usual. He was not, as usual.

"You know what? I'm not even going to ask. Knowing you, you probably pulled some strings to get on this team," he sighed. Kotestu and Izumo watched from the side. They heard clear resignation in that sigh. They also heard fondness and love in that statement.

"Heehee, you know me so well, Shika."

* * *

"Hey, Shika, you gotta trust me, okay?"

"Since when have I not?"

"Good point!"

* * *

This was all a bad idea. Letting Ino take the front was a _horrible_ idea. It should've been him.

* * *

Watching Ino fight was like watching a two-man skit. But with only Ino. She played both characters, and she did it somehow seamlessly and flawlessly. It was strange, really, the way she fought. Had it been a less life-threatening time, Shikamaru would have been more focused on her movements than the opponents.

* * *

"It hurts, doesn't it?" Hidan exclaimed, laughing maniacally.

"Doesn't it hurt you, too?" Ino asked. Her leg felt like it was on fire.

"Well, yeah, but it's good pain. And I won't die."

"You won't die. _Can_ you die?"

"What part of immortal do you not understand? Are you dumb or something?"

"Yeah. I'm really dumb."

"Ino, what are you saying?" Shikamaru yelled from his place. He wanted to fight. To watch her back. Yet, he remained.

"Shikamaru, do you trust me?"

"What?"

"Do you trust me?"

"Yes! What are you thinking?"

Ino did not respond to him. Only smiled and returned her attention back to the creepy immortal man.

"Let's dance."

* * *

It was all a bad idea. He shouldn't have given in and taken that day off. It should've been him.

* * *

Ino was amazing.

Ino was beautiful.

Even when she faced death, she was graceful.

* * *

Hearing Shikamaru's theory on Hidan's jutsu (theory confirmed by Hidan himself, actually), Ino adjusted her position accordingly. She placed herself inside the strange diagram, preventing Hidan from entering. Any attempts at drawing a new diagram was thwarted by Shikamaru's shadow.

Ino was plotting something, Shikamaru belatedly realized. He knew that gleam in her eyes, that ingenuine twitch in her lips, that crease of dissatisfaction between her brows. She was plotting something, waiting for something, and he didn't know what.

But he trusted her.

* * *

Honestly, it was the last time he trusted her.

* * *

"It must be hard being immortal," Ino broke the relative silence with those words.

"Don't know what your jabbering about," Hidan was getting agitated. He wanted to tear her to shreds, and he'd enjoy every second of it.

"I heard about a thing called mercy," she went on.

"The hell you talking about?"

"He's a good person, so I want to be like him. I'll show you mercy."

"HAH! I'd like to see you try!"

* * *

As it happened, Hidan managed to knock Ino out of what he claimed his rightful place. Though, really, Ino let him. But no one had to know that.

* * *

Shikamaru thought his world was crumbling. Ino lay in a pool of blood. Her own blood. And that immortal fucking bastard was still standing, laughing. And laughing. And laughing. He wanted that fucker to shut up. Where was backup?

But then, Ino was laughing, too. That shut Hidan up like a charm. It was deathly quiet save for her laughter and a quiet humming. Where was that coming from?

Ino stood up, slowly but steady. She stood up, still laughing like some sort of deranged person.

"Ino?" Shikamaru whispered, afraid of her response.

"A good person," she whispered back. She was so quiet, he almost didn't catch it. And charged right toward that bastard. She charged with her hands in a familiar yet unknown hand sign. It looked like the traditional Mind Transfer seal but a bit different. Something was off.

He should've stopped her.

* * *

The humming was her moths. She had summoned them at some point. Who knows when. They were always with her. She loved them, and they loved her.

Right when she had activated her jutsu (whatever it did), she had collided with Hidan. Right when they collided, the moths summoned their own weapons. Giant needles, somewhat reminiscent of Hidan's. The moths impaled them both.

And then there was no longer Ino and Hidan.

Just two bodies.

* * *

Ino's technique was successful. Her mind was intact, though she knew her body was not.

Ino had dragged both her mind and Hidan's mind out of their bodies. And now, they only had a brief moment before darkness would inevitably overcome them.

"What did you do?" Hidan questioned. He knew he should be furious with whatever just happened, but he wasn't, oddly enough.

"I'm showing you mercy," that girl replied. Always smiling. Always smiling. She was always smiling.

"How?"

"Immortality sounds like such a burden, you know? Instead of leaving you alive in some pit somewhere, I decided this is a much kinder fate."

"And what is this fate, anyway?" She ignored his question. Perhaps, even she did not know.

"I think… that maybe, in another life, we could've been friends."

"Maybe. What's it matter?"

"Heh. Hehe. Nothing. It's just… wishful thinking."

* * *

Two bodies. Everyone was silent. In shock. They couldn't move. Even that Kakuzu was shocked at the sight before them. The immortal man was lifeless.

So was Ino.

* * *

If there was anything Shikamaru could do for Ino in her death, it was to bring her to her compound. Her compound where her father was. Where flowers grew. Where she'd want to be.

* * *

Asuma's place was wrecked. It reeked of alcohol, cigarettes, tears, and regret. He opened his window and screamed at the Heavens. The clouds were heavy with raindrops. He thought it fitting. Even the sky mourned his loss.

* * *

"She did something like this," Shikamaru held his hands up loosely, copying Ino's last action.

"Ah, that… I taught her that," her father confessed. The confession felt heavy on this tongue. He wished he never taught her. Shikamaru didn't want to know what it did. But at the same time, he did. He wanted to know what Ino was thinking.

"What does it do?"

"In essence, it's suicide." Shikamaru felt his heart stop. Inoichi carried on, trying desperately to stay put together, "The Yamanaka clan members… We value our minds. Our minds are our lives. Without it, we are dead. That technique, it forcibly ejects the user's mind along with its victim's. Their minds will mix, and they'll never be able to return back to their bodies."

Shikamaru took a breath. Inoichi looked like he was going to die from heartbreak. The younger man left soon after.

* * *

"Ugly, are you-"

"Shut _up_ , Sai," Naruto hissed.

"Did you know?" Sakura started. Her heavy sobbing had stopped long ago, but she had not spoken a single word until then. "Did you know she promised? To have daifuku with me in four years?"

Sakura should've known. Ino was a master at lying.

* * *

Inoichi laid on the balcony. It felt larger than normal. More spacious. Emptier. There wasn't even a bowl of persimmons. He had no appetite.

In the garden, he saw a bloom. Ino had planted a bunch of daffodils in the garden some time ago, and it seemed one was an early bloomer. The rest would come in time. Inoichi vaguely remembered her telling him about the importance of the number of daffodils. One meant misfortune. A bunch meant rebirth.

Inoichi wondered when the rest would bloom.

"Go in peace, my child. Rest now."

* * *

note: Did you expect this? I didn't lmao.


	12. First Sight

Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. I am not profiting in any way from this. Also, if you see any mistakes, please tell me.

Okay, here it is. More people voted for the Konoha 12 option. So, here you go. This is the end. Thanks for sticking with me :D

* * *

EXTRA: First Sight

Ino was two, not yet three, years old when a man came to visit Daddy. The man was as tall as the doorway, and he had a warm smile. He looked kind. He sounded kind. Ino did her best to hide behind Daddy's legs. The man only chuckled before he spoke to Daddy.

"Hey, how you doing?" Daddy smiled, but it was tired. All throughout the short years of her life, Daddy always looked tired.

"Managing. You?"

"Good! I'm just here to drop this off. I know you're not one for cooking much, so I made a little something for you and your girl."

Yes, that man was kind.

* * *

"Come along, Ino. Do you remember the man from yesterday?"

"Yep!"

"He's a good friend of mine. Let's go drop off his bowls, yeah?"

"Okay!"

* * *

"Yo, Inoichi! Ah, thanks! You didn't need to return these so soon," the kind man greeted them at his door. Ino was distracted, however, by the child behind his legs. It was like looking at a mirror. Two men with a child hiding behind legs. It was kinda funny.

"Chouza, hi. Just wanted some fresh air," said Daddy.

"Ah, yeah, that's good. Chouji, quit hiding and greet them!" The child, Chouji, shyly and slowly detached himself from his dad and waved at Ino and Daddy.

"Hello," he said. He was very quiet.

"Hi," she waved back. The boy cracked a small, wavering smile.

It was beautiful.

* * *

Cousin Santa loved Cousin Ino.

Cousin Ino loved Cousin Santa.

They could be seen wandering the streets of Konoha on the weekends if Santa was free. He was a busy boy, but for Ino, he'd clear his schedule as much as he could.

"Ino, I'm going to get something from the store. Can you go find a spot on the hill?" Santa asked. Ino was young, but it was only for a moment, so it should be fine.

"Okay!" she chirped and left in search for the best spot ever.

* * *

Ino found a spot, nice and shady, under a pretty tree. As she went to sit down, she heard a voice from a little off.

"You shouldn't sit there," the voice said. It belonged to a young child. He was a couple meters away from the base of the tree, lounging like he owned the place. He looked comfortable.

"Why not?" she asked.

"There's a bird that poops on anyone who gets too close. So, you should move over a bit," he said. What a nice boy! He save Ino and Cousin Santa from bird attacks!

"Oh! Thanks!" she beamed.

"No problem," said the boy.

* * *

On the first day of academy, Ino was lost in a crowd of children. Disoriented, she squirmed her way to the edge, trying to get herself some breathing room. When she did, she stumbled and fell against another child. That child had clear eyes with a hint of lavender. It was pretty, but weird. Not that Ino could say much about weird eyes.

That girl was a Hyuuga.

* * *

Ino heard about the great and noble clan of Hyuuga. They were masters chakra and had all-seeing eyes. That terrified Ino. All-seeing eyes? What if they saw her! Her thoughts! What if they found out she wasn't normal!

The Hyuuga terrified her, and so did the girl with pretty lavender eyes.

Before the girl could utter a word, Ino bowed, apologized, and hurriedly left.

* * *

There was a boy named Kiba in her class. He was loud and explosive. Somewhat unpredictable. He had a short fuse and nasty temper.

He scared her. A lot.

Ino saw him get into fights with the other boys. Sometimes, girls. He didn't discriminate. If there was a challenge, he was arrogant. If there was a scuffle, he was there.

He scared her. She didn't want him to notice her, so she hunched in and avoided eye contact.

Whatever she did, it worked. He didn't notice her until their third year, and by then, she was not afraid.

* * *

Ami had purple hair, bright and vibrant. Full of life. Ino thought it was lovely. Ami's personality, on the other hand, was too much. She was confident. She was pretty. She was arrogant. She was vain. Even so, Ino enjoyed listening to her. She had cool stories to tell.

But then, she saw Ami and her friends and another girl Ino didn't know. Ami and her friends said cruel words.

That wasn't cool.

* * *

"Ami."

"Oh, Ino. Good timing-"

"I think you should go pick flowers on that side."

"Huh? What's wrong with you?"

"There's more flowers on that side."

"Well, I don't wanna."

"Ami."

"What?"

"I think that… you should _go_."

"... Whatever."

* * *

Sometimes, Ino would catch a glimpse of the quiet boy from class in the forest. Other times, in the field. The boy would also catch glimpses of her, too. But they were both too shy and nervous to say hello.

Until a cool spring morning, the boy would ask a question.

* * *

Ino and Shino would often chatter about nonsensical things. They were all meaningless chitchats. But one day was different.

"I miss Torune."

"Do you love him?"

"Yes."

* * *

"I miss Cousin Fu."

"Do you love him?"

"Very."

* * *

Naruto was full of sunshine. He wasn't always, but more and more, he was. Sometimes, it was fake and forces. But he was trying.

Ino thought his smiles were charming. She didn't want to see it disappear. She was angry at herself for taking it away that day. She wished he could be her cousin. But Daddy said he couldn't because of some rules and laws. Ino didn't press any further, because Daddy would never lie to her.

* * *

The first time Ino actually spoke to Sasuke was when she asked for his help and was harshly rejected. Then she pummeled him in spars and felt better. She decided to try again to be friends with him.

"I don't need friends," he said with a scowl.

"But won't you be lonely?" she asked.

"No. Besides, friends will only get in the way," he answered, and walked away.

Sasuke had a bitter, broken heart. Ino felt sad for him.

* * *

Ino walked through the market street, looking this way and that, with no particular destination. She was looking at a row of pretty ribbons when she heard the people whisper and jeer. She turned to look at the cause.

It was Mr. Hero!

And a mini Mr. Hero!

"Ah! Hello, youthful blossom! Have you been keeping up with your training?"

"Hello, Mr. Hero! I have. Who's your friend?"

"This is one of my students, Rock Lee!"

"HELLO!"

"Hello!"

They didn't stop to chat much.

* * *

The next time Ino saw Lee was during the exam. He was battered and bruised, on the ground with- wait a minute. When did Sakura get a haircut?

Hinata was a very kind girl, as Ino had later found out. Her cousin, Neji? Not so much. He was bitter and broken like Sasuke. He looked so angry as he mercilessly beat his opponent. Occasionally, he would make a point to look directly at Hinata with those angry eyes.

After his match, he even turned to her and said cutting words. Words that bit into Hinata's soft heart and mind.

Ino decided she didn't like Neji very much.

* * *

In the arena, facing TenTen, Ino thought her opponent was a pretty girl with fierce brown eyes. Too pretty to mess up her face. That would just be too cruel.

So why not use poison? It would only slow her down a little. No permanent damage. So why not?

And if Ino used poison as an excuse to kiss a pretty girl, well… no one needed to know that.

* * *

Her friends were weird. Her friends were unique. Her friends were special.

Most importantly, they were hers.

She wouldn't trade them for anything.


	13. Uh, yeah

Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. I am not profiting from this.

I never thought I'd come back to this, but here I am.

* * *

EXTRA 2: Random

Story 1:

He was having a good dream until a small hand smacked his face, forcibly dragging him back to reality.

"Shikadai, you know it's rude hit your parents and wake them up like this," Shikamaru yawned.

"You were talking about a boar in your sleep," his child answered.

"What's it matter to you if I'm dreaming about a boar?"

"I was curious."

"So you decided to assault me in my sleep?"

"Yeh." His kid was kinda weird. Maybe all kids were kinda weird. Ino certainly was.

"I was dreaming about Ino. She's not a boar. She's a person."

"I'm telling mom you were dreaming about a girl." This kid, really.

"You're being troublesome. Also, your mom knew her."

"Who is she?"

"She was my childhood friend and teammate."

"Was?"

"Yeah. Was… Wanna go visit her?"

"Okay."

* * *

"Ah, Shikamaru, it's rare to see you up so early. Good morning, Shikadai-kun." It was Sakura.

"Hello," said his child.

"Hey, just gonna visit Ino and Inoichi-san. Temari's out right now though. She'll come by later," Shikamaru replied.

"I'm on my way, too."

* * *

Sometimes, Mirai wondered about the girl named Ino. Dad said she was his student. He also said she took his place. Mirai didn't understand without enough context, but she could put together a few things. Whatever this Ino person did, she saved her dad. For that, Mirai was grateful.

Sometimes, Mirai wondered if she and the girl named Ino could have been friends.

* * *

"Asuma-sensei, you're here, too?"

"Yo. I see you're up early," said man greeted the party of three. His eyes were tired but it was far from empty.

"Really, I can get up early, you know. I just choose not to," Shikamaru sighed. Shikadai snickered.

* * *

With both Inoichi and Ino out, Santa had taken up responsibilities. He swore only for a moment, until things settled down and the clan could find a proper leader, but it'd been years. Santa was still running the clan. Rei never failed to laugh at his fate.

Rei led the four visitors toward the back, where the garden sat quietly. Where the fallen rested peacefully.

* * *

"Hey, Ino. Inoichi-san. It's a nice day out."

* * *

note: I honestly don't know anything about Shikadai and Mirai so I BS'ed this part

* * *

Story 2:

"HIDAAAAAAAAAN!" a voice screamed.

"WHAAAAAAAAAT?!" another voice screamed back from somewhere else.

"COME HEERREEEEEE!" the first voice screamed again.

After a few silent minutes, a man barged out from between the palm trees. He had an impressive scowl on his face.

"WHAT!? WHAT DO YOU WANT!?" the man called Hidan screamed at the owner of the first voice. It was a young woman with bright eyes.

"Someone landed on our island!" she exclaimed.

"Great. We can finally get off this fucking shithole," he answered. As he started stomping toward the beach, a hand grabbed at his shirt.

"But what if they're not friendly?" Hidan thought she asked the dumbest questions.

"Are you dumb?"

"Yeah, I'm really dumb!"

"DUMBASS! If they're not friendly, I'll just kill them and take their damn ship."

"Okay, good luck with that! I'll cheer you on!"

"Wh- YOU'RE NOT GONNA HELP ME?!"

"I'll help if you look like you need it." Then she had the _audacity_ to smile at him.

* * *

"Captain, what should we do about… that?" a tall man with a rifle asked the red haired man, clearly referring to the loud voices just a few meters into the trees.

"Eeh, let's just wait for them to come out first," said the captain.

And soon enough, the man called Hidan shoved his way out toward the beach in all his glory. There wasn't much glory to be said, considering he and his companion had been trapped on the island for at least seven months. They were both going a little stir-crazy.

The young woman the newcomers had briefly seen earlier poked her head out from behind a tree.

"Hello!" she chirped. "Are you friendly?"

"Depends on who's asking. How do you feel about pirates?" asked the captain.

"Pirates!" Hidan hissed. "Ino, they're pirates. They're gonna kill us if we don't get them first." He held up a shabby spear as threateningly as possible. He was doing a good job at that.

"Ah, we don't go around attacking random people, so if you don't attack first, we won't either," the captain held his hands in front of him in a non-threatening manner.

"Look, Hidan! These pirates have more manners than you!" Ino laughed.

"SHUT UP, YOU'RE NOT HELPING!" he yelled back.

"Now now, no need to be so rude to the young lady," a man with a bandana spoke. His bandana had the word YASOPP written on it.

"THAT BEAST IS NO LADY!" Hidan screamed as he switched his target from the newcomers to his companion. She only laughed and skipped away from his attacks.

"Captain, we came across some very interesting characters," said the man with the rifle.

"Sure seems like it," the captain answered.

* * *

note: Sometimes, I like to imagine Ino and Hidan are on another adventure. Usually, I imagine they end up somewhere in One Piece or something.

* * *

To answer some questions:

Ino refers to herself as she/her. Inoichi calls her his child in general. He calls her his son/daughter only sometimes, but that's more to let her know he accepts and embraces all of her.

Looking at her reflection in the mirror is very jarring for Ino. She knows it's her, but at the same time, it just looks wrong. She likes to avoid mirrors and other reflecting surfaces because of that.

Many members of the Yamanaka clan are involved in T&I since their abilities are very helpful in that regard. But it's not like everyone wants/enjoys being there. I don't want to generalize an entire group of people.

Chouji thinks of Ino as a kind and gentle person. For the most part she is. But she has a compartmentalized mindset. She separates her life with friends and life with work. Chouji has never really seen Ino at her work before. The glimpses of darkness he's seen before are nothing compared to how she can be.

* * *

And that's it. I don't remember any other questions/things I wanted to clear up. So yeah. The end. Bye.


	14. Ino and Hidan's Amazing Advernture Log!

Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. One Piece belongs to Oda Eiichiro. I am not profiting from any of this.

This is probably the last thing I'm gonna write for this. Yup. This was honestly for my own entertainment but if other people enjoy it, then that's great! So yeah, if the characters are weird or out of character... Well. It is what it is. Thanks for reading this.

* * *

 **Ino and Hidan's Amazing Adventure Log!**

 **Day 1**

 _Today, I woke up to someone screaming and throttling me. When I opened my eyes, it was Hidan!_

"WAKE UP, BLONDE BITCH!"

"Wuh?" Ino formed her very coherent answer.

"It's not 'wuh,' it's 'WHAT THE FUCK AND WHERE THE FUCK ARE WE?!'" Hidan continued to scream.

Ino tried to clear her head, fighting off the dizzying sensation of being violently shaken. She looked around her and saw the man she tried to kill and no one else.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"THAT'S WHAT I'M ASKING YOU!"

"Stop screaming at me. I don't know what's going on."

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH-"

 _Hidan was so angry, he almost popped a blood vessel and wouldn't stop screaming for a very long time. Then he fell asleep. I slept too._

* * *

 **Day 4**

"Are you feeling calmer now, Hidan?"

"NO-"

"I don't want to talk to you when you're screaming."

"FINE, THEN DON'T TALK TO ME!"

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Look, we don't know where we are, what's going on, what happened. We should put our heads together to figure this shit out."

 _We concluded we are somewhere far from home. Somewhere no one will find us. We're alone on a small island. There's no one but us and small animals. We're not sure what to do._

* * *

 **Day 5**

 _We set up base at the center of the island. There's a lot of plants and animals and insects to eat. A little walk and there's a river with fresh water._

 _Hidan yelled nonsense the entire day. But at least he's not yelling at me anymore. Just at literally everything else._

 _We tested our chakra. It's feels muted and it's hard to use. But we can still pull off basic techniques and manipulations. Maybe with some practice, we'll get better._

 _The plants and animals don't have chakra. I didn't tell Hidan. It might make him angrier and I fear for his blood pressure._

* * *

 **Day 11**

"Hidan, let's cloud watch together," Ino requested the violent man to partake in a very nonviolent activity.

"Why the fuck should I do that?"

"Because my friend used to do it and I'd join him sometimes."

"What's that gotta do with me?"

"You're the only person here, so I thought-"

"No, stop bothering me. Ya know what? I should just kill you."

"Why haven't you?"

"..."

 _Hidan went very silent and stomped off to the northern section of the island. He came back at night to sleep at the base._

* * *

 **Day 14**

"We should make a raft or somethin' and get off this fucking shithole," Hidan suggested. He shielded his eyes with one hand and gazed as far as he could out into the open sea. It was water forever.

"Which direction will we go?" Ino asked.

"Doesn't matter. As long as it takes us away from here."

 _We never did make a raft. We only talked about it. I think Hidan's just as scared as I am. Who knows what could happen out there._

* * *

 **Day 16**

 _We saw a giant eel-thing pop out in the distance. Wherever we are, the ocean is dangerous._

* * *

 **Day 23**

"Hidan, look at this fruit. Isn't it kinda cool?" Ino showed him a swirly fruit. It was weird looking.

"No, it looks fucking disgusting. Where'd you find this?" Hidan asked.

"It was growing out of the Bitter Red fruit tree. Weird, right?"

"More like freaky."

"Let's eat it. I bet it tastes like something otherworldly!"

"FUCK NO, THROW THAT SHIT OUT!"

 _Hidan took the fruit and chucked it out into the sea. We never saw it ever again. Goodbye, mystery fruit. You shall be missed._

* * *

 **Day 31**

 _Sometimes, Hidan tries to kill me._

"COME BACK HERE!"

"No!"

"IT'S REVENGE TIME, BITCH!"

"NO!"

 _He never does._

* * *

 **Day 38**

"I'm sick of eating the same thing everyday," Hidan complained. He didn't whine. Nope, not at all.

"Me too."

"..."

"... Wanna go fishing?"

 _We made a small raft thing. It took us a bit since we're not master boat builders. We'll take it out tomorrow._

* * *

 **Day 39**

 _We forgot to make spears and baskets. We spent the entire day carving and weaving and getting into a water fight. I had so much fun! I hope Hidan did too._

* * *

 **Day 40**

"Oy, Ino, watch this. I'm gonna get that bright orange fucker over there."

"Good luck! I really do hope you get it."

"Quiet! I'm concentrating!"

 _Hidan caught the orange fish. It was the size of my hand. When we tried to cook it, it immediately caught fire and burned away. The fish here are elusive and oily. We'll try again next time!_

* * *

 **Day 47**

 _The weather doesn't change very often._

"Do you think the roof will survive this time?"

"Dunno."

"Should we fix it right now?"

"You can. I'm staying here."

"Maybe when the storm dies down, we should reinforce the roof and the walls and the flooring."

"Maybe."

 _When it does, it's destructive. It's kinda scary, but at least I'm not alone._

* * *

 **Day 52**

 _The storm left the island this morning. We couldn't go out very much during the storm. Hidan and I are both very tired and hungry._

"What's that in the distance?"

"Looks like… a whale."

"I've never seen a whale before."

"Me neither. Just in some book a long time ago."

"Whale looks cute."

 _We were too tired to take a closer look at the whale. I hope it comes to visit another time._

* * *

 **Day 59**

"I've been studying the waves," Ino began that afternoon.

"So?"

"Well, I've concluded there are no waves."

"What?"

"Yeah, weird right?"

"WHAT?!"

 _Hidan didn't believe me. When he came back from the base, he looked confused._

"That's not how oceans work," he came back muttering.

* * *

 **Day 64**

"It's been approximately 64 days since we first woke up here."

"You were counting?"

"Yup! And I think our homebase needs a name."

"I think not. The Base is good enough."

"Don't be such a spoilsport, Hidan. I'm bored out of my mind. Humor me. PLEASE."

"FINE, JUST STOP WHINING!"

"Okay! I suggest 'Ino and Hidan's Beautiful Watchtower Mansion.'"

"DENIED!"

"Okay, I suggest 'Ino and Hidan's Wonderful Lookout Mansion Version Two!'"

"NO!"

"Fine, I suggest 'Ino and Hidan's-"

"STOP IT WITH THAT, HOLY SHIT!"

 _We decided on The Castle. I still like to call it 'Ino and Hidan's Treetop Friendship Castle.' But only when I'm alone. Hidan looked like he'll have an aneurysm when he heard it._

* * *

 **Day 68**

"Hey, Hidan," Ino began.

"Whut," Hidan replied from above. He was sprawled over a tree trunk, lazing about. At that moment, he reminded Ino of someone she loved. Someone who wasn't there.

"Do you think there's other people like us here?"

"Whatcha mean?"

"Like, I'm pretty we died. I used a super secret Yamanaka technique, and it's categorized as a suicide move."

"And?" Hidan raised a brow, his eyes peering down at the girl.

"Well, since we ended up here after we died, do you think other people who died are somewhere out there? On another island?"

Hidan jerked up suddenly, surprising Ino. His eyes were now wide and alert. Ino could see thoughts and theories and hopes flashing behind them.

"Could be," he muttered before whipping his head around to face Ino. "We gotta get off this god forsaken dump."

* * *

 **Day 80**

 _We spent a lot of our days studying the stars and making improvements to our rafts. We also studied the flight patterns of visiting birds. Unfortunately, neither of us are smart. We ended up with a lot of data with no conclusion._

 _We did make a cool boat though._

* * *

 **Day 93**

"Okay, let's test this fucker."

"Okay, let's go!"

 _Our beautiful boat didn't live a long life. It sank right as it touched the water._

"THE HELL?!"

* * *

 **Day 131**

 _We finally figured out what went wrong with the boat. The wood we used on it reacts weirdly to salt water. We're not intellectuals, so we don't know exactly why. Just that it is._

* * *

 **Day 148**

"Hidan, look!" Ino shouted as she held up a fruit. It was another weird swirly fruit.

"Let's really eat it this ti-" Before Ino could even finish her sentence, Hidan sent it flying.

* * *

 **Day 175**

"Do you think there's land besides here?"

"Dunno."

"Or if there's other people at all besides us?"

"Dunno."

"Oh! What if-"

"CAN YOU SHUT THE HELL UP?! I'M TRYIN' TA SLEEP!"

* * *

 **Day 176**

Ino was oddly silent and blank-faced that morning. It was such a sudden shift from her usual asshattery that Hidan felt uneasy.

"Oy, what's with you today?" he confronted her after prepping himself up for a few minutes.

"Hm? I've just been thinking," she said.

"About?" he prodded.

"Weeell, I've been thinking you don't have a surname."

"Why are you even thinking about that?"

"You know, my daddy gave me my name. Yamanaka Ino! Isn't it nice?"

"?" Hidan wasn't sure where she was going with this.

"Ino is me and Yamanaka is my family. Inoichi is my daddy. Rei, Fu, Santa, Inari, Yato… They're my cousins. Everyone's a Yamanaka, and I'm a part of them!"

"Uh, yeah so?"

"But you don't have that. So! I want to ask you, do you want a surname?"

"No? Instead of thinking about shit like this, why don't you use whatever brain power you got to getting us out of here."

"Alrighty then!" Ino smiled bright and wide, standing up from her perch. She skipped toward the river to fill up their water pouches.

"Ah," Ino turned around to address Hidan once more. "But if you ever want to be a part of the Yamanaka, then I'll happily share my name with you!" She turned around and left Hidan by himself. He was too shocked and baffled by the conversation that just took place.

* * *

 **Day 178**

"What if I kill you?" Hidan asked.

"Then I die. Don't you know people die when you kill them?" Ino was perplexed by his question.

"THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEAN!"

"Don't be mean and go yelling at me!"

"YOU- AREGH-! I mean, if you share your name or whatever, but then I kill you sometime in the future, or like, I dunno, what will you do?"

"I'd be too dead to do anything."

"I'M ASKING HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT THIS HYPOTHETICAL SITUATION!"

"Hahaha! You're so funny, Hidan! I'm so glad we got to be friends here, though the situation is far from ideal."

"JUST ANSWER THE FUCKING QUESTION."

"I'd be sad."

Perhaps Ino's answer was not what Hidan expected. What did he even expect? Anger? Betrayal? The urge to kill him? Honestly, he wasn't expecting much. He learned not to expect anything from people (but it never stopped him from hoping).

"I decided a long time ago. That if someone I love happens to hurt me in some way, I wouldn't begrudge them for it. Not all friendships last forever. So I'll look fondly at the times we spent together and we'll take our own paths. Of course, in this hypothetical situations, I'd be dead."

"... But you'd have shared your name with me."

"True, but it's not like every single clansmen get along with each other."

"I don't think these two relationships are comparable."

 _Hidan asked strange questions and when I answered with my best answers, he went silent and left me. How rude! To just leave me after yelling like that._

* * *

 **Day 181**

"Hey, Hidan, check this out!" Ino exclaimed excitedly to her companion. Hidan looked up from the spears he was sharpening.

"Whut." Ino didn't mind his unamused tone and face. He was usually like that, so it didn't bother her anymore.

She grinned before demonstrating a water release. Namely, the Water Dragon Bullet.

"HOLY SHI-"

Ino, in her moment of elation, had forgotten the effects of the technique and nearly washed Hidan far off the island.

 _Hidan wasn't very happy with what happened, but he didn't chase me for long. He got to stretching his hands and fingers and practicing whatever justsus he knows of. Then he pulled me under and buried me up to my neck. And proceeded to kick dirt and dust in my face and laugh. So not cool!_

 _I got back at him, so it's all good. We slept an entire day after playing for too long. Chakra exhaustion is no joke!_

* * *

 **Day 196**

"HIDAAAAAAAAAN!"

"WHAAAAAAAAAT?!"

"COME HEERREEEEEE!"

"WHAT!? WHAT DO YOU WANT!?"

"Someone landed on our island!"

* * *

"Hidan, have you calmed down now?" Ino asked when she noticed Hidan was no longer pursuing her.

"... Yes."

"Yay! Now let's go talk to those polite pirates!"

* * *

"Hello, Mr. Pirates!" Ino cheered as she stepped back out onto the beach.

"Hello there, little lady!" Shanks greeted. "Name's Shanks. You?"

"My name is Yamanaka Ino! Hidan introduce yourself," she nudged her friend. Hidan scoffed before obliging.

"Hidan… It's… Yamanaka Hidan. DON'T FORGET THAT, YA HEAR!?" Hidan didn't meet Ino's eyes. If he did, he would've seen true joy.

"Oh, you two siblings? Don't look alike though. I'm Yasopp," the bandana man said.

"It's okay! Not all family look like each other!" Ino barrelled forward. She was just too happy.

* * *

"So, you two have been on this island for almost 200 days?" Benn asked.

"Today marks the 196th day since we woke up," Ino provided. "By the way, can I have some papers and some pens? I've kept a diary in my head since the first day. I wanna write them all down."

"You remember all that?" Roo asked.

"Yup! My memory is really good!"

"How are you still so dumb?" Hidan grouched under his breath. Ino didn't pay it any mind even if the pirates sent a look his way.

"So do you have any I can have?" she asked again.

"Ah, yeah."

"Dumbass! Ask the important questions first!" Hidan scolded.

"This _is_ important!"

"NO!" Hidan turned toward the red haired man. "You're the captain, yeah? Give us a lift out of here."

"What if I say no?" Shanks didn't plan on denying them. He was only joking, really. Hidan gave him a really dead look.

"You're going to say no to this face?" Hidan questioned as he pulled Ino in front of Shanks' face. Before his eyes, Shanks saw a young woman with deep deep eyes yet to be broken down by the harsh realities she's faced. A smile that hoped for the best in everyone, believing the best in everyone.

Shanks couldn't say no to that.

* * *

Benn Beckman could be counted on to keep a level head. Even in the face of that Yamanaka girl.

"You really didn't feel anything after seeing her face? That painfully optimistic and hopeful face?" Shanks bothered Benn about the girl on their ship.

He sighed, "Let's just hope it's not an act. Also, their circumstance is quite strange, don't you think?"

"How so?"

"Well, from what I can piece going by what they told me, they were on opposite sides in a war."

"Yeah?"

"Yes, and they ended up battling to the death. And they woke up alone on that island. Now they're good friends. Don't you think that's at least a little odd?"

"Mmm, nah~. They're here. Their war's not here. There's no reason to fight. And they seem to get along fine. Looks like there's no personal grudges between them. In fact, they're like family now!"

"Hm, yeah."

* * *

"What's that ya got there?" Hidan noticed Ino diligently working on something.

"Hehehe, Ta Da~!" Ino proudly held up the journal she'd been binding. In big bold letters, the cover read 'Ino and Hidan's Amazing Adventure Log.'

"Ino, I need you to burn that."

"No!"

"INOOOOOOO!"

It was a very lively start to the day.

* * *

"Well, here you are! The nearest island with civilization! Honestly, you two were really unlucky to wake up on an uninhabited island on the verge of the Calm Belt. Really unlucky," Yasopp mentioned once the two visiting passengers jumped off.

"Thank you, Mr. Pirates! I had so much fun talking to someone besides Hidan!"

"What's that supposed to mean?!

"It means-"

"Ah, let's not fight on our parting day," Shanks cut the incoming shouts before it could start. "What's your plan now that you're not stranded?"

"We're going to find our friends," Ino said.

"If there are any," Hidan tacked on.

"It might take forever. We might never find anyone, but it's something to do."

"Well, then I wish you two the best of luck. Maybe we'll meet each other again sometime."

And that was so long to the two bizarre strangers.

* * *

"Aah, everybody, take a look at this!" Yasopp came down from the nest after paying the News Coo bird.

"What's up?" Everyone on deck were curious.

"Check out these new bounties!"

In his hands, Yasopp held two bounty posters. One for Hidan the Reaper and another for Guillotine Ino.

"Seems like they're doing well!"


	15. extra whatever this is

Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. One Piece belongs to Oda Eiichiro. I am not profiting from any of this.

This was quickly written as a response to someone's review about Ino being reunited with Inoichi. I just remembered this is a thing that exists, and decided to post it. It's not necessarily "canon" in my story.

* * *

"Soooo, there's you and me, and we found Itachi and Kushina. And now we found Zabuza. I think we're doing really great at this self-imposed mission!" Ino exclaimed, very excited at all three new friends she and Hidan managed to find.

"Yeah yeah, whatever. This doesn't explain anything about our situation though," Hidan continued to grump about everything. What a boring guy!

"That's not important. What _is_ important is that we have friends from before, and now we can all make new friends in this world together!" Ino grinned. She was so so so happy!

"Ugh, whatever." At that moment, Sabo came up to them with a message.

"Ha, found you!" he smiled. Ino smiled back. Hidan deadpanned.

"Whatchu want?" he asked. Sabo just straight up ignored him, too used to the guy's antics to be bothered. "Dragon wants to see you two. Said he has something to show you."

"Is it a gift?! I'm so excited! Hidan, let's go! Hurry!"

"STOP PULLING!"

* * *

Ino knocked on Dragon's door since Hidan wouldn't. He would barge right in, but Ino held his hand, keeping him in place.

"Come in."

Ino opened to door with a greeting on her lips that slipped away when she saw who was in the office room.

It was Dragon and... and...

Tears flooded her eyes. She didn't even notice Hidan inching to a corner quietly. Her attention was fixed on that man.

That man and his feather smile.

That man and his ocean eyes.

That man, her father.

"Daddy?"


	16. Like worlds apart

Guest: I wanted Ino and Hidan in the Avengers Universe

Sure.

Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. Avengers, Captain America, Iron Man, all that belong to Marvel. I think. I am not profiting from this.

* * *

 **Like worlds apart**

He noticed three things.

The second thing Hidan noticed was he was suffocating. More accurately, drowning. In salt water. Panicking just the slightest bit from confusion, he swam to surface and desperately gasped for breath. In the distance, there was land. It was quite far, but he didn't survive for so long by lacking stamina.

It took a good thirty minutes of nonstop swimming to reach shore. There was no one else around. It was night and the air was chilly. There were buildings next to the beach. They were structures he'd never seen in his two lives.

The third thing Hidan noticed was that he had died. He died his second death, and now he breathed his third life. He wasn't quite sure how to feel about that.

As he laid on the sand, he gazed at the clouds.

The first thing Hidan noticed was that he could not sense a shred of Ino's presence.

'She'd like these clouds,' he thought.

He did not cry.

* * *

Hidan laid there for a long time. If he was still on his first life, he wouldn't have laid down at all. But he laid there, simply breathing, simply watching. Felt the air graze his nose and the sand scratch his arms.

He stood up and took inventory. He wasn't carrying much when he died, but it appeared the only things that carried over were himself and the clothes he wore. He wished he had his scythe, but he could make-do. Killing was easy, with or without a weapon.

He then took note of his chakra. It was there, perhaps a tad too faint, but still there. Nothing else had chakra. (From his time with Ino, he picked up a few skills in sensing. That's how they always found each other. He couldn't find her.)

Hidan concluded two things:

One, he was in yet another world.

Two, he was alone.

* * *

Waking up at night time was a blessing. There weren't many people out and about to question his sudden bedraggled emergence. Hidan picked a random direction and began walking. He could have stopped a passerby and asked questions. But the few who were out avoided him. That was fine with Hidan. It just meant he was someone to be feared.

He eventually decided to head toward the large building at the edge of a cliff. He wasn't sure what kind of purpose it served (quite frankly, it looked ridiculous), but the lights were on, indicating someone was potentially inside.

Whatever barriers and security measures, Hidan didn't care. He continued marching on.

(He didn't care much for his life.)

* * *

"Sir, there's someone coming toward here," a disembodied voice reported. Tony Stark was chilling. Just chilling. Not doing work or tinkering or anything. Simply chilling. And now some asshole was trespassing. He let out a heavy breath.

"Show me."

JARVIS, the voice, pulled up a live footage of the trespasser. It was some weirdo who looked like a drowned rat.

"Should I call the police?" JARVIS inquired.

"Uhh, nah. Let him come. Whatever." Perhaps making crucial decisions while inebriated was not a great idea.

* * *

Hidan finally reached the door and knocked. Ino had always told him off for barging in without knocking, calling him a thug and a ruffian. To that he'd always tell her those were the same thing and that he didn't care. At this instance, he knocked for Ino.

He waited a short moment before knocking again, harder. He was impatient. It was cold out, he was wet and sandy. He was lost, he _had_ lost. You could say he wasn't in an ideal situation nor mood.

* * *

Tony opened the door to stand face to chest with the trespasser, possibly thief, maybe murderer. The man before him had light hair and dead eyes. Eyes that said, "Hey, I'm in a bad mood, comply else blood be shed."

"Can I help you?" Tony asked, assuming the man knew who he was and where he was.

"Where am I?" asked the man. Tony realized he assumed wrong. And he didn't like being wrong.

"Uh, my place. Thought you knew that."

The man scoffed, "I wouldn't ask if I knew."

"Riiight."

"I'm tired. I'm staying the night," the man demanded.

"Excuse me? Do you not know who I am?" The notion of someone not knowing who _the_ Tony Stark was was both appalling and incredulous.

The stranger looked him up and down, cataloguing every single detail. Tony felt like a bacteria under a microscope. Didn't feel nice.

"No." Seriously?

"Seriously?"

"Yes," was the only answer as the man shoved Tony aside and entered the building. Without permission, of course.

"Hey! Hey hey hey hey, wait! You can't just come inside like that! JARVIS, are you seeing this?"

"Shut up."

* * *

The presumed owner of the building was obviously not happy with Hidan. But Hidan didn't care. He'd be leaving after a few hours. The owner should be grateful Hidan didn't off him on the spot.

"Okay, so you don't know who I am. And you're just gonna, what, sleep in my place?" the guy followed Hidan.

"Yes."

"Serious?! I could be some killer." Hidan turned sharply on his heels, startling the man back a couple steps.

" _I_ should be the one you fear this night," he spoke lowly, making sure the man knew the danger he was in should he keep talking to Hidan.

"Uhh, I'm Iron Man?" That meant nothing to Hidan.

"I'm going to rest now. Shut up and don't bother me." Hidan promptly sat on Tony's clean sofa and closed his eyes, leaving Tony to stare bewildered.

* * *

"Should I alert the police now, sir?" JARVIS asked again.

"Not yet. Run a face scan."

* * *

The sun was just peeking out when Hidan opened his eyes. He'd been not-quite-sleeping for a bit longer than he planned. But that Iron guy's voice was getting louder and louder.

"-start existing out of nowhere. Are you _sure_ you looked through all the footage?" Iron guy sounded agitated.

"Yes. None of the footages show this man entering the city within the last year." There was that voice again. Where was it coming from?

"It's- it's- just, not- oh. You're awake," Iron guy shifted his attention to Hidan. "Who are you and how did you get here?"

"None of your business," Hidan spit.

"It became my business when you forced your way in here. Who are you and how did you get here?"

"Hidan. I walked."

"JARVIS, search for a Hidan. And you, that's not what I meant. I mean, where were you before _here?"_

"Beach." Hidan didn't want to answer, but the guy kept pestering him for an answer, and Hidan was just, so so so tired.

"You- I- arrghghh!"

"Where's the closest flower field?" Hidan asked abruptly.

"Wha- Flower field? Why?"

"I want to go there. Where is it?" Flowers. Where Ino would want to be.

"You- Just-" Iron guy sighed. "You know what? Whatever. What _ever_. Just go to town. There's gonna be a flower shop somewhere." Iron guy was resigned.

Hidan left without another word.

"Sir, I can't find a Hidan that fit the man's descriptions."

Tony clenched his head and screamed in his mind.

* * *

Tony didn't think he'd ever see that asshole ever again. But he did. In _New York_ of all places!

" _You!"_ Tony hissed when his eyes were graced by those fair strands of hair, those piercing cold eyes.

It was that asshole Hidan.

Hidan turned and saw that guy. That Iron guy. And turned back around to continue his way, away from Iron guy.

"Hey! Stop! I'm talking to you!"

"What's wrong with you?" a new voice asked Iron guy. Hidan had half a mind to see who it was, but he had a mission to complete.

"HEY!" A hand landed on his shoulder, forcing him to stop and turn. Of course. It was Iron guy. And another guy. And another guy behind that guy. A distinct lack of Ino. (Hidan could hope.)

"What do you want?" Hidan spit. He wasn't in the mood for any detours. He hadn't been in the mood the five months he spent in this world.

"Guys, this is that asshole that broke into my-"

"Yes, Tony. We know the story," one of the guys said.

"I thought you said you're Iron guy," Hidan remarked.

"It's Iron _Man_."

"Whatever. I'm busy." Hidan tried to leave, but Iron guy- right, sorry, Iron _Man_ \- had a tight grip on his shoulder.

"You're coming with me"

"Why?" three voices asked in unison.

"Because I think you're an alien.

* * *

Iron guy pulled him along to the big ugly tower. Hidan probably shouldn't have followed, but he had no lead. Nothing. There was nothing he could do other than comb the planet for any sign of her while trailing signs only she would recognize.

"I'm not an alien," he said. (He kinda was.)

"Tony, you can't just force someone to come with you while accusing them of being an alien," one of the guys said. The guy had yellow hair and blue eyes. All the wrong shades, not to mention wrong shape.

"Yes I can. I just did," Iron guy, Tony, replied childishly.

Hidan looked around. Over the five months, he was able to grow accustomed to this fancy new world full of technologies he'd never even imagine. It was a harsh transition, but he survived. (He was a survivor, just like-)

Tony's tower was packed full of technology. Even ones that Hidan could safely say was not available to anyone else in the world. Tony had access to power.

"When we met," he began. All three men's attentions zoned in on him. "You asked Jarvey to look me up."

"It's JARVIS."

"Whatever. Can you find anyone in the world with Jarvey?"

"It's- Yes. Except you apparently."

"Can you find someone for me?"

* * *

It was cold. Why was it cold? It was hot just a second ago, so why was it so cold?

Ino realized she was moving. Not voluntarily. She was being dragged. In the snow.

Ah, that's why she was so cold! She's in the snow!

It was cold. Too cold. She fell asleep.

* * *

Life in the snow wasn't too bad. Certainly, she missed Hidan and her father and all her friends, but she didn't know what was going on, so having something to do was nice. She knew she died. Hidan was there. Last she knew, he was still alive, reaching for her before…

Perhaps, she was alone in this world. That was fine. If the rest of the world was like this snowy fortress, she was glad none of her friends were there with her. It wasn't a very nice place.

* * *

She slept a lot. Not really by choice, but it was fine. The naps, as she called them, were pleasant breaks from breathing. (Going to sleep and waking up were decidedly very unpleasant, but the inbetween was nice.)

There was a man like her. He was brought in just a year after her. The man wouldn't obey their commands. He was treated very poorly.

Ino thought he was foolish. He could have avoided all those pains and troubles. If only he could pretend.

Pretend like Ino.

* * *

They didn't care for her name. That was fine. She didn't want them uttering her name with their filthy lips anyway. Those people that reminded her of that horrid man called Shimura.

They didn't deserve her name.

* * *

On rare occasions, she and the man would go on missions together. It reminded her of times when she was younger. Running through blades of grass or metal with two boys by her side.

Once, when they were waiting out the snowstorm in some forsaken forest, he turned to her and looked at her. Really looked at her.

And he said, "You remind me of someone."

"Who?"

"Someone with hair and eyes like yours."

"You remind me of someone, too."

"... Who?"

"Someone with the same gloomy face as you."

He didn't answer her. They stayed quiet the rest of their time together.

The next time she saw him, he did not remember much of her.

She pitied him.

* * *

They called him an asset. _The_ Asset. He was called out for a mission in the country of many states. Ino had never been there and wondered if it was just as snowy. She never left the snow in this world. Was this entire world full of ice and misty breaths?

They called her. She had work to do. She had no time to think about those silly things.

She missed Hidan.

* * *

Tony, Steve, and Sam. The three men's names. They crowded around a piece of paper that Hidan had scribbled on.

"This could be literally anyone," Tony remarked.

It wasn't a good drawing of Ino, even Hidan could admit. He wasn't known for his artistic abilities.

Tony had JARVIS pull up every single match that remotely resembled a Yamanaka Ino. Hidan went through every single one and said no to all. Then Tony had JARVIS pull up every match of girls with blonde hair, blue eyes, light skin, mid twenties… Hidan denied them all.

"This is hopeless," said Sam.

Hidan rolled his eyes to the ceiling. The lights were too bright. "You said Jarvey could do anything."

"No, I didn't. I said he can do many things. Not all." Tony was offended. How dare this strange man insult his child!

"Say, who is this girl you're trying to find?" Steve, who had been quiet, spoke up.

"She's… my sister," Hidan answered after a moment of thinking. He never said it out loud before. It sounded weird. If felt nice.

"When and where did you last see her?" Steve continued to question Hidan.

Hidan didn't want to reveal his foreign nature and settled on half truths. "An island maybe. Dunno. There was ocean. We were… fighting some people. They… hurt her. And I woke up on another beach with an ugly ass house."

"I hope you're not referring to my place."

"I am."

" _Son of a-_ "

* * *

Hidan wasn't sure how he ended up getting involved with Steve and some deadly assassin that smelled like the cold. The man invited him to run with him and Sam. Hidan accepted for a lack to things to do. He had to keep up his training at least somewhat. So he agreed.

But anyway, the how didn't matter. Hidan got involved and there wasn't much say in getting out. What a bother.

* * *

'Man… I hate this world,' Hidan thought to himself as he watched a giant thing started falling back down to earth. A giant vehicle of sorts that flew. Like the airplanes he'd see. But it looked even uglier. 'Man, this world is fucking ugly.'

He was about to turn around and leave to somewhere quiet, but he saw out of the corner of his eye a figure falling. He stared for a half second before recognizing the figure as Steve. And then another figure was falling after him. Hidan didn't know who that was.

He wanted to leave, but Steve and others had been kind to him. In his second life, he learned to pay back debts and favors, even if he didn't want to. Ino taught him that much (and Inoichi literally beat it into him).

He watched from the foliage the second figure (oh, it was that assassin) pull Steve out of the river. Then try to leave. But Hidan was a great ninja. He wouldn't just let him leave.

* * *

The Asset was apprehended by the fair haired stranger.

* * *

Ino wondered when the Asset was coming back. She was getting bored. Something had happened in the States that had everyone at the facility in such a frenzy. They didn't pay much attention to her. That was their mistake.

Ino will always be a ninja. Stealth will always be her specialty.

She was done pretending.

* * *

Hidan wasn't sure what was going on. He could piece together that Steve and Tony had history of some sort with the assassin, but not much. There was a lot of yelling that Hidan didn't care for. Sam sat next to him. Hidan suggested playing cards, to which Sam shot him an unamused look. Fine, Hidan could play by himself. He could play… pick up fifty four.

Hidan dropped the card deck to the floor. Everyone looked at him for a brief moment before continuing with whatever they were talking about. The assassin looked uncomfortable. Poor bastard. He looked at the cards and up at Hidan. Hidan didn't move. Only stared at the cards. He didn't feel like picking them up. He somehow lost a game against no one.

Instead of picking up cards, he thought he could try another shot at drawing Ino. Steve offered to draw her, but Hidan couldn't describe what she looked like. He really didn't have a way with words. Ino never had a problem with that, but Hidan realized a long time ago he couldn't only live up to Ino's standards. She had a very low bar in what was acceptable.

* * *

The Asset continued to watch the strange man while half listening to the conversation about him. The man called Hidan was drawing now. It was a shitty drawing.

But it looked strangely familiar. The way he drew the hair and that empty expression on a soulless smile…

Yes, it was…

* * *

" _Zima,_ look at this," a whispered voice. In the snow, she used a stick to draw two figures holding hands and smiling blankly.

"It's you and me." There were hints of pride and happiness in her otherwise flat voice.

It was a shitty drawing.

* * *

"I know her," the assassin spoke for the first time since the airship. Everyone stared at him.

"What?"

"That girl you're drawing. I know her." It was as if someone had poured icy water atop his head. Hidan sat upright, eyes wide at the Asset. "She drew the same way as you."

"She's…" Hidan trailed off. Everyone was frozen in their spot, staring at the drawing.

"It's… a pretty shitty drawing, ain't it."

* * *

Ino was in Europe somewhere. The Asset wasn't exactly sure where, but the primary facility she returned to was there.

Of course, by the time they (they being Hidan, _Bucky_ , and Steve) arrived at that place, it was long abandoned, wiped clear of any incriminating evidence.

And no trace of Ino.

But that was fine. She was close enough for Hidan to sense her chakra.

* * *

The men followed Hidan as he meandered across the tundra. She was getting closer. She knew he was there. He was getting closer.

In the snow, crouched on the ground with a stick in her hand, she looked up from her masterpiece.

And she smiled.

And his heart wept.

* * *

note: I haven't watched past Winter Soldier and I don't know much of the MCU timeline. If you don't like how this turned out, sorry but it is what it is. I enjoyed writing it, even if there's not much of a storyline. If there's a mistake or something, please message me.

Thanks for reading.


End file.
